Zbornik 2018
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Mediterranean Issues, Book 2<br />
Katica JURČEVIĆ<br />
Ljiljana KALITERNA LIPOVČAN<br />
Ozana RAMLJAK (Eds.)<br />
REFLECTIONS ON<br />
THE MEDITERRANEAN
Mediterranean Issues, Book 2<br />
REFLECTIONS ON THE MEDITERRANEAN
Mediterranean Issues, Book 2<br />
REFLECTIONS ON THE MEDITERRANEAN<br />
Katica JurËeviÊ, Ljiljana Kaliterna LipovËan, Ozana Ramljak (Eds.)<br />
PUBLISHERS<br />
Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar<br />
VERN' Group<br />
Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Scientific Council of Anthropological Research (HAZU)<br />
Euro-Mediterranean Academic Network (EMAN)<br />
FOR THE PUBLISHERS<br />
Æeljko Holjevac, Branko ©tefanoviÊ, Pavao Rudan<br />
EXECUTIVE EDITOR<br />
Rino MediÊ<br />
EDITORIAL BOARD<br />
Dionigi Albera, PhD, Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IDEMEC, Aix-en-Provence, France<br />
Vlatko Cvrtila, PhD, VERN' University, Zagreb, Croatia<br />
Pavao Rudan, Academician, Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zagreb, Croatia<br />
Vlado ©akiÊ, PhD, Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb, Croatia<br />
Prof. em. Dr. Michael Ursinus, Heidelberg University, Germany<br />
REVIEWERS<br />
Charles Farrugia, PhD, Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences, University of Malta, Malta<br />
Mirjana MiliÊeviÊ, PhD, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina<br />
EDITING<br />
Mathea Papo, Petra LuËiÊ, Mislav ÆivkoviÊ<br />
LAYOUT & PREPRESS<br />
Forma ultima<br />
COVER DESIGN<br />
Zlatko Rebernjak (Forma ultima); Photo: Nikolina ©tefanËiÊ<br />
PRINT<br />
Tiskara Zelina d.d., 2019<br />
ISBN 978-953-7964-77-1 (Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar)<br />
ISBN 978-953-8101-04-5 (VERN’ Group)<br />
CIP catalogue for this book is available from the<br />
National and university Library in Zagreb<br />
under the number 001034095<br />
The book is published with the financial support of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia.<br />
Copyright © Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, VERN’ Group, 2019
REFLECTIONS ON<br />
THE MEDITERRANEAN
CONTENTS<br />
Preface ................................................................................................................ 9<br />
Michael Ursinus:<br />
“The Sea Giveth” — Ottoman Ways of Drawing on Coastal Resources in<br />
the Hinterland of Vis (mid-16th to early 17th Century)........................................... 13<br />
ART, CULTURE, HISTORY, TRADITION<br />
— MEDITERRANEAN ISSUES —<br />
Dionigi Albera:<br />
The Virgin Mary as a Bridge Between Christianity and Islam:<br />
A Mediterranean Exploration .......................................................................... 29<br />
Fabio Armand, Christian Abry:<br />
Past and Present Alpine-Dinaric Folklore and Religious Concerns with<br />
Malevolent Mora-like Ontologies ..................................................................... 43<br />
Zlatko –ukiÊ:<br />
Navigational Regulations in the Adriatic Sea Laid Down in<br />
Statutes of Dalmatian Towns and Communes ..................................................... 53<br />
Branko Kostelnik:<br />
The Beat Fleet: the Leader of Pop Culture on the Croatian Mediterranean ............... 65<br />
Ivan MaloËa, Ozana Ramljak, Pavao VraneπeviÊ:<br />
Promoting Destinations Through Film: Croatian Film and the Mediterranean ............. 75<br />
Marta RaËiÊ, Antonio Sammartino:<br />
Poetry as a Significant Identity Marker of Molise Croats ....................................... 97<br />
Ozana Ramljak, Neven Hitrec, Miranda Herceg:<br />
Nothing but Split. Literature, Film and Design as<br />
Constructive Elements of a City’s Cultural Identity .............................................. 101<br />
ECONOMY, TOURISM<br />
Ekaterina Blinova, Marina GregoriÊ, Martina GregoriÊ, Dajana Maria Horvat:<br />
Corporate Social Responsibility of International and Local Hotels<br />
Operating in Russian and Croatian Markets ..................................................... 115<br />
Miro BoriÊ, Leon Cappelli:<br />
The Islands of the Split-Dalmatia County as a Part of<br />
Croatia’s Tourism Promotion .......................................................................... 125<br />
Jadranka IvankoviÊ, Zlatko Hodak:<br />
The Role of Destination Management in the Development of<br />
Tourism on the Croatian Islands ..................................................................... 135<br />
Jadranka IvankoviÊ, Diana PlantiÊ TadiÊ, Moreno PavliËiÊ:<br />
The Role of Customer Relationship Management in Luxury Hotels in<br />
the Republic of Croatia ................................................................................ 147<br />
5
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Ivana MariÊ, Zrinka Gregov, Jelena KovaË:<br />
The Role of Stakeholders in the Management of<br />
the Local Community — with the City of Hvar as an Example ............................. 159<br />
Stanko Rihtar, Ivana FeriÊ:<br />
Intensity of Exploitation and Quality of Seaside (Coastal, Island) and<br />
Inland Tourist Destinations in Croatia: An Empirical Insight .................................. 171<br />
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC SERVICES<br />
Predrag BejakoviÊ, Æeljko Mrnjavac:<br />
Lessons from Local Employment Policies and Activities on Islands ......................... 185<br />
Toni BabaroviÊ, Ljiljana Kaliterna LipovËan, Andreja Brajπa-Æganec, Joπko Zekan:<br />
Life Satisfaction in the Mediterranean:<br />
The Cradle of Europe with Unhappy New Generations ..................................... 197<br />
Anita Buπljeta TonkoviÊ:<br />
Sustainable Rural Tourism at the Mediterranean’s Doorstep:<br />
A Case Study of the Lika Region (Croatia) ....................................................... 207<br />
Lana LuËiÊ, Tihana BrkljaËiÊ, Ljiljana Kaliterna LipovËan,<br />
Ines SuËiÊ, Andreja Brajπa-Æganec:<br />
Regional Differences in Well-being in Croatia .................................................. 221<br />
Axel Luttenberger:<br />
Governance and Marine Spatial Planning ....................................................... 231<br />
Jasmina OvËar, Mario Mikulan:<br />
Sustainable Development — Personal and Insular ............................................. 239<br />
Ivan Perkov:<br />
Coping with Ecological Problems in Cities on the Croatian Coast:<br />
Sociological Aspects of the Karepovac Waste Disposal Recovery Process<br />
in the City of Split ....................................................................................... 253<br />
Lidija Runko Luttenberger, Jadranka MatiÊ, Draga MiheliÊ:<br />
Environmental and Social Impact Assessments Regarding<br />
Tourism Projects in Croatia ........................................................................... 265<br />
Sara UrsiÊ, Geran-Marko MiletiÊ:<br />
Second Homes on Islands: The Effects of Seasonality on<br />
the Availability of Amenities .......................................................................... 275<br />
MIGRATION, SECURITY, GEOGRAPHY<br />
Inoslav Beπker, Ana RadoviÊ Kapor:<br />
Inventing Migrants Narrative: Victims between Politics and Literature .................... 289<br />
Josip Kasum, Æeljka Primorac, Marko PiliÊ:<br />
The Influence of Island Infrastructure on Security, Sustainability and<br />
Development of Nautical Tourism ................................................................... 305<br />
Natasha Kathleen Levak, María Florencia Luchetti, Katica JurËeviÊ:<br />
Return-migration to the Ancestral and/or Cultural Homeland:<br />
Financial, Cultural, Social, and Emotional Perspectives and<br />
Processes Undergone by Women Who Moved to<br />
the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia ..................................................................... 317<br />
6
Contents<br />
María Florencia Luchetti, Marina PeriÊ Kaselj, Natasha Kathleen Levak:<br />
Dubrovnikans in South America: Contemplating Identity through<br />
Historical and Contemporary Perspectives ....................................................... 329<br />
Damir Magaπ:<br />
Karst Fields (polja) of Dugi Otok, Croatia,<br />
on Topographic Maps (1:25,000) ................................................................ 341<br />
Kata Magaπ:<br />
The Croatian Islands in the Education System of the Republic of Croatia ............... 351<br />
Majda RubiÊ:<br />
Geographical Position of the Croatian Archipelago in the Context of<br />
the European Parliament’s Resolution on Special Situation of Islands ..................... 365<br />
COMMUNICATION, EDUCATION, SPORT<br />
Mirela Holy, Marija Geiger Zeman, Zdenko Zeman:<br />
Sustainable Tourism Development in the Mediterranean:<br />
Are Marketing Activities Pointing to Sustainable Strategies? ................................ 377<br />
Svea Krπul, Silvana FratriÊ Kunac, Branka ©uput:<br />
An Analysis of Student Learning Experience on<br />
a Field Trip to the Island of Vis ...................................................................... 389<br />
Mirela Müller:<br />
The Impact of Technology on the Development of Tourism and<br />
the Prevention of Emigration of the Young Generation<br />
— Example of Okrug Gornji on the Island of »iovo .......................................... 397<br />
Marko MustapiÊ, Benjamin PerasoviÊ, Renata Franc:<br />
Sport and Socialization in a Mediterranean Local Community:<br />
Zale Igrane Water Polo Club’s Fifty Years of Tradition ....................................... 407<br />
Stana Odak KrasiÊ, Marija VolareviÊ, Milica VuËkoviÊ:<br />
How do Croatian Tourist Boards Promote Destinations Online?<br />
Content Analysis of Facebook Communication of Tourist Boards in Croatia ........... 419<br />
Damir ©karo, Borna JurËeviÊ:<br />
Sport and Religion in the Mediterranean ......................................................... 433<br />
— OTHER ISSUES —<br />
Tihana BabiÊ, Silvija GrgiÊ:<br />
Net Generation and Perception of the Electronic Violence .................................. 445<br />
Tihana BabiÊ, Iva VunariÊ, Andrej LackoviÊ:<br />
Information Ethics on Social Networks: Students Perspective ................................ 455<br />
Nikolina BorËiÊ, Sanda MarjanoviÊ, Mara Pekez:<br />
German Media Narratives About Croatia and Croatian Tourism ......................... 463<br />
Claude Cellich:<br />
Conditions for Global Competitiveness ........................................................... 473<br />
Alexandre Chikalanov, Mariyana Lyubenova, Simona Peteva,<br />
Yuliyan Ivanov Petkov, Iliana Todorova:<br />
Cost Effectiveness Assessment of Forest Ecosystem Services for<br />
Water Bodies Protection ............................................................................... 481<br />
7
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Lidija Fiπtrek:<br />
The Images of Text — Jozo KljakoviÊ .............................................................. 493<br />
Marina GregoriÊ, Ivan Hegeduπ, Antonija Marappleetko, Ana Vrkljan Muraj:<br />
Attractiveness of Renaissance Festival as a Tourist Manifestation in<br />
the City of Koprivnica (Republic of Croatia) ..................................................... 499<br />
Marina GregoriÊ, Ekaterina Blinova, Melita SeËan:<br />
The Demand for Russia as a Tourist Destination Amongst Croatian Tourists ............ 509<br />
Boris Hajoπ, Mateja PopoviÊ:<br />
Public Relations of Civil Society Organizations in Croatia ................................... 521<br />
Eva Horvátová:<br />
Impact of Financial Crisis on Banking Sectors in<br />
Western and Eastern European Countries ........................................................ 535<br />
Dubravko Kraus, Darija Prπa, Krasnodar Perπun:<br />
Evaluation of Student Competences Acquired and Developed while<br />
Participating in a Mobility Programme ............................................................ 549<br />
Sanda MarjanoviÊ, Nikolina BorËiÊ, Mara Pekez:<br />
Communication in Foreign Languages and Higher Education Curriculum for<br />
the Study of Tourism and Hospitality Industry .................................................... 557<br />
Davor MikuliÊ, Damira KeËek, Damira –ukec:<br />
Key Sectors in the Croatian Economy: An Input-Output Approach ........................ 569<br />
Anton PetriËeviÊ:<br />
An Impact of Emigration and Negative Demographic Trends on<br />
the Croatian Labor Market ............................................................................ 583<br />
Anett Rácz, Gergo “ Zilizi:<br />
Virtual Reality Aided Historical Exhibition and Monument Reconstruction ................ 595<br />
Mariusz Samoraj:<br />
Culture and Tradition as a Source in Regional Education in<br />
Chosen Parts of Poland ................................................................................ 603<br />
Rahaela Varga, Anappleelka Peko, Matea Sabljak:<br />
Pre-Service Teachers' Concerns About Multigrade Teaching ................................ 613<br />
Dijana VukoviÊ, Anica Hunjet, Predrag »udina:<br />
The Role of Perception of Sustainability as<br />
a Competitive Dimension of a Tourist Offer ...................................................... 623<br />
Zuzanna Wojciechowska:<br />
Functions of Education in the Perspective of Experiencing Changes in<br />
the Professional Life by Generation 30+ and 60+ ............................................ 635<br />
About the Authors ............................................................................................... 649<br />
Organizers ....................................................................................................... 669<br />
Partners ............................................................................................................ 671<br />
8
PREFACE<br />
To approach the European identity from a Mediterranean perspective means to explore<br />
the relationships between the land and the sea by interpreting historical processes and<br />
cultural and other influences in a larger regional frame of identification.<br />
The Mediterranean draws attention to the contemporary coexistence of numerous<br />
similarities and differences that give the Mediterranean region a specific connotation<br />
and make it unique. It is a geographically scattered and fragmented cultural space characterized<br />
by cultural diversity, stemming from the evolution of Mediterranean civilizations,<br />
which is a result of its centuries-long history of exchange and continuous movements<br />
of people as well as of the rich and complex continuous interaction between<br />
cultures. The essential and distinctive characteristic of this area is the plurality of cultures<br />
and people who greatly differ from one another but are at the same time very<br />
similar in their habits and lifestyles. The multicultural dimension of the Mediterranean<br />
identity can be used as a living example of “unity in diversity”.<br />
The Mediterranean islands, as realities that are both fragile and persistent, provide<br />
an essential key to understanding the Mediterranean world — a world that today faces<br />
the challenges of globalisation, migrations and conflicts.<br />
This is the second book on Mediterranean issues and brings together papers presented<br />
at the Mediterranean Conference — MIC Vis <strong>2018</strong>, held on the Island of Vis,<br />
with the intention to offer reflections on specific challenges that the Mediterranean and<br />
Mediterranean islands encounter or at least to pose questions that have yet to be answered.<br />
The book focuses on a variety of issues facing the region in a transnational,<br />
transcultural and global context. The book is organized into two parts: Mediterranean<br />
Issues and Other Issues. Mediterranean Issues contains five chapters: Art, Culture, History,<br />
Tradition; Economy, Tourism; Sustainable Development, Public Services; Migration,<br />
Security, Geography and Communication, Education, Sport. Book II brings together<br />
fifty-five papers written by respectable international authors.<br />
As a part of the additional programme of the MIC — Vis <strong>2018</strong> conference, an exhibition<br />
called The Mediterranean was organised, showcasing photographs that were<br />
selected from the best student photography competition. Among the one hundred submitted<br />
photographs, a panel of judges, consisting of Kreπimir MikiÊ, Luka Kedæo and<br />
Davor Horvat, chose twelve photographs that were displayed at the exhibition. The first<br />
three winners were awarded valuable prizes from EPSON. First place went to Fran Horvat<br />
from the Faculty of Graphic Arts for his photograph “Silent sea”; the second place<br />
winner was Ljiljana VukmanoviÊ from the School of Dental Medicine for her photograph<br />
“TreÊina” (One-third); and third place went to Zvonimira Michieli TomiÊ from<br />
VERN’ University for her photograph “S druge strane” (From the other side). The exhibition<br />
photographs were used as chapter separators in the book.<br />
Editors<br />
9
Marta Ramljak: Retreat
Michael Ursinus<br />
“THE SEA GIVETH” — OTTOMAN<br />
WAYS OF DRAWING ON<br />
COASTAL RESOURCES IN<br />
THE HINTERLAND OF VIS<br />
(MID-16th TO EARLY 17th CENTURY)<br />
The island of Vis, separated from the Adriatic coast by more clear blue water than most<br />
other islands, may have interacted less intimately with its coastal hinterland than, for<br />
example, the islands of BraË, Hvar or KorËula, but close ties were certainly maintained<br />
with the Christian population living along the sea-board below the ranges of Biokovo,<br />
Mosor, Kozjak and Velebit mountains, an area which, under pressure from Ottoman<br />
advances, repeatedly contributed to the emigration to the Adriatic islands of Christians<br />
looking for shelter and new opportunities. We are informed, for example, that the famous<br />
hermitage in Blaca on BraË was established before 1588 by people from the Poljica<br />
area fleeing Ottoman oppression, 1 just like Primoπten island just off the Zagora<br />
coastline was settled (and firmly joined to the mainland by a causeway) in 1564 by refugees<br />
from Bosnia trying to escape Ottoman control. 2 On the other hand, there is also<br />
evidence that some inhabitants from the islands looked for land and trade in the Ottoman-held<br />
coastal districts, such as a certain IvanaËa from Hvar who, a few years after<br />
Makarska (which was in Venetian hands for a short spell following the Ottoman defeat<br />
at Lepanto in 1571) had been returned to the Ottomans, bought the title (tapu) for<br />
a field and several housing sites near the shore which had been in the possession of<br />
the Franciscan monastery there since the time of the Ottoman conquest, and held it for<br />
at least ten years (if not considerably longer). 3 Possessions of fields and building plots<br />
were clearly desirable, irrespective of whether they were situated near the seashore of<br />
the mainland or in an island setting. The resources for the inhabitants to draw on, primarily<br />
agricultural and maritime, must have been similar across the wider area.<br />
Moving on from the concerns of the private individual to those of the state, and<br />
leaving aside the overwhelming interest of the Treasury in the country’s agricultural resources,<br />
we may claim that for the state, maritime resources, in particular the revenue<br />
1 Radovan RadovinoviÊ (ed.), The Croatian Adriatic (Zagreb: Naklada Ljevak, 2007), p. 268.<br />
2 Ibid, p. 210.<br />
3 FranjevaËki samostan Fojnica, Acta Turcica II 59, dated between 20 and 29 June 1584.<br />
13
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
from maritime trade, fishing, and the production of salt, are generally more plentiful,<br />
and their exploitation especially promising, at or near estuaries. Between Makarska in<br />
the South and the island of Pag in the North, i.e. in the (extended) coastal “hinterland”<br />
of the island of Vis, the principal rivers during the period in question met the sea at<br />
places held not by the Ottoman state, but by Christian powers, for example the river<br />
Cetina at Omiπ or Krka river at ©ibenik, both major Venetian ports. Between Makarska,<br />
which grew into one of the few Ottoman Adriatic ports of significance, and the principal<br />
Venetian port city of Zadar, for instance, Ottoman control over the coastal territory<br />
of the Adriatic Sea extended to only three coastal bays with rivers discharging into<br />
them: (1) at Kamen east of Split (where the river of Ærnovnica flows into the bay of<br />
StobreË), (2) at Solin (ancient Salona), today a suburb to the north of the modern city<br />
centre of Split where the rivulet of Jadro sends its waters into the bay of Vranjic, and<br />
(3) at a place near Kolubin church 4 near Most Maslenica where the waters of river<br />
Zrmanja empty into the Canal of Velebit (Velebitski kanal). 5 The present paper constitutes<br />
an attempt at using a variety of Ottoman archival sources kept in Turkish state archives<br />
in Istanbul and Ankara and various archives and libraries in Bosnia-Herzegovina<br />
and Croatia dating from between the middle of the 16 th and the beginning of the<br />
17 th century for showing — if only as an overview — where, how, and to what extent<br />
the Ottoman state, represented by various local institutions and beneficiaries, made use<br />
of the available resources by levying fees and duties on (maritime) trade, fishery rights<br />
(dalyan) and producing salt in state-controlled salt pans (memlaha). Due to the nature<br />
of the available sources, the organisation of the production of salt in the StobreË area<br />
will in the latter part of my paper be in the focus of my investigation. I shall principally<br />
draw on the Ottoman documents from the Poljica area kept in the archive of the<br />
Archbishopric of Split (Kaptolski arhiv) and in the library of the Archaeological museum<br />
Frane BuliÊ, as well as a number of “detailed” (mufassal) Ottoman land survey registers<br />
for the sancaks of Klis, Krka and Lika dating from the latter part of the 16 th and<br />
the beginning of the 17 th centuries.<br />
Let me begin with sketching some basic facts concerning first the maritime trade<br />
in the coastal “hinterland” of the island of Vis during the period in question, before<br />
moving on to fishery rights and salt production:<br />
4 “A ruined church by the name of Kolubin where the river of Zirmanje meets the sea”: Tapu<br />
ve Kadastro Genel Müdürlüǧü, Tapu Arşiv Dairesi Başkanlıǧı (Ankara), Defter No. 13 (a “comprehensive”<br />
survey register from 1604), fol. 174b; similarly in Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivi, TD<br />
728 (a “summary” survey register dating from the reign of Sultan Ahmed I, 1603-1617), p. 385,<br />
where the church of Kolubin is not, however, listed as “ruined” (harabe). I am grateful to the<br />
archive authorities for their permission to use these and other survey registers from their holdings,<br />
and to Dr Astrid Menz (Orient-Institut Istanbul) for her kind assistance to procure them.<br />
5 For a sketch map showing the area under Ottoman control c. 1606 see Historija naroda Jugoslavije<br />
II., Karta I. “Bosanski paπaluk oko 1606. god.”<br />
14
M. Ursinus: “The Sea Giveth” — Ottoman Ways of Drawing on Coastal Resources...<br />
Ports (iskele in Ottoman) are the usual places where maritime trade is executed<br />
and where goods are exchanged — with the state keen to maintain an infrastructure<br />
to levy customs and other duties.<br />
Surprisingly, perhaps, none of the river-mouths mentioned was developed into a<br />
port or harbour by the Ottomans. Yet it seems that the Ottomans, after the conquest of<br />
Klis in 1537, had played with the idea of advancing from Klis right to the coast, at the<br />
expense of the Terra Ferma of Spalato, since there is evidence in the Venetian State Archives<br />
that Michael Bon and Gasparo Erizzo informed the council of Venice in 1559<br />
(from Spalato/Split) that the new masters of Klis, now that they had chosen Klis for the<br />
seat of the newly established sancak of that name, had the intention of annexing a large<br />
share of the territory of Split consisting of an area five miles wide and approximately<br />
three miles deep, and this by drawing a line from ancient Salona (Solin) directly to the<br />
sea (Turchi pretendono di tirar una linea dretta da Salona fino alla marina), towards the<br />
channel between the islands of BraË and ©olta, which would have cost Split almost its<br />
entire Terra Ferma. 6 What is more, there had apparently been an Ottoman initiative to<br />
open the bay of Kaπtela and/or StobreË to maritime trade. In 1557 Venice received reports<br />
about Ottoman plans to establish a port at both, or either, extremes of the Terra<br />
Ferma, one in the west at Salona (Solin), the other near the mouth of Ærnovnica river<br />
in the east, which, as was feared, would potentially have damaged beyond repair the<br />
role of Split as a major trade emporium. It never came to this, but instead a salt works<br />
(memlaha) was reportedly established at this latter location in 1566, worked by inhabitants<br />
of the Poljica, the semi-autonomous mountain district behind the coastal town of<br />
Omiπ. 7 The bay of Vranjic, however, remained what it had been before — a port with<br />
an infrastructure for bulk loads only to develop here in the course of the 20 th century,<br />
especially since 1903—1904. 8<br />
Further to the North, at the mouth of Zrmanja river downstream from Obrovac,<br />
the almost complete absence of an Ottoman trading installation seems to confirm the<br />
situation in the South. But there are differences worth highlighting: First, Zrmanja river<br />
is navigable up to Obrovac, which can be reached by boats with up to 2.5 m<br />
draught. This circumstance seems to be reflected in the Ottoman survey registers which<br />
record a market-place situated between Old and New Obrovac (Obrovca-i atik ve cedid<br />
ma-beyninde) far inland with an annual income of 204 akçes from market-dues<br />
(bac in Ottoman) and other revenues in 1574—5 (For comparison: Klis had a bac fig-<br />
6 Lovre KatiÊ, “Granice izmeappleu Klisa i Splita kroz vjekove”, in: Starohrvatska prosvjeta. Svezak<br />
6 (1958), p. 187-211; here: p. 207.<br />
7 Grga Novak, Povijest Splita. 3 vols (Split, 2005), vol. II, p. 86f. On these salt works in the context<br />
of salt production in the Ottoman Empire more generally see Adem HandæiÊ, “Bosanske<br />
solane u XVI i XVII vijeku”, in: »lanci i graapplea za istoriju istoËne Bosne (ZaviËajni muzej u Tuzli)<br />
III (1959), pp. 67-112.<br />
8 Ivo BabiÊ, Prostor izmeappleu Trogira i Splita. Kulturnohistorijska studija (Kaπtel Novi, 1991), p.<br />
194ff. and photo p. 199.<br />
15
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
ure of 6.000 in 1604). 9 Interestingly, however, the defter of 1574—5 lists another market-site<br />
among the sources of income in the Obrovac area, situated near today’s Most<br />
Maslenica. 10 This is confirmed by a later survey register dating from 1604, which now<br />
gives the figure of 500 akçes annually in market dues (bac) and ihtisab payments (as<br />
well as other sources of income in parallel with the previous defter). Here, like in the<br />
earlier survey register, the location of the coastal market (called satı bazar, lit. “offer<br />
with a view to sell”) is identified with a place called Podmorje near (the church of) Kolubin<br />
mentioned earlier as “situated at the straights of Zrmanja river” (nehr-i Zirmanye<br />
boǧazında). 11 These defter records for Obrovac clearly point to the existence, around<br />
the turn of the 17 th century, of an unprotected (probably periodical) coastal bazaar<br />
(possibly on ecclesiastical grounds like in so many other instances further inland) as<br />
well as an “urban” market installation (also called satı bazar in the survey registers) in<br />
the safe vicinity of Obrovac fortress. Neither here nor upstream do the market-sites (as<br />
recorded in the defters) carry any notion of the kind of goods offered for sale. It is only<br />
from sources of a different kind (i.e. Ottoman “registers of state affairs” or mühimme<br />
defterleri) that we learn that Obrovac served (alongside Split) as a major hub for<br />
the export of salt into the interior, in particular Bosnia. 12 But generally, rather than being<br />
import/export hubs for maritime goods, they seem to have served as markets for<br />
local produce, possibly also for provisioning outgoing vessels (this may have been the<br />
principal purpose of the Podmorje site). A coastal port (iskele) in this area, however,<br />
is absent from the Ottoman records; in passing, the defters merely mention a port (iskele)<br />
on Krka (!) river belonging to Obrovac district.<br />
Leases of fishery rights (dalyan in Ottoman) are widespread features of the mainland<br />
under Ottoman control; several towns in the “hinterland” sport such fisheries in<br />
rivers and lakes (göl in Turkish), such as Vrana and Nadin), but also places where the<br />
lakes have silted up and turned into reed-beds (sazlık in Turkish), like around Skradin<br />
or between the old town of Knin and the former bishop’s church (Kapitola), or have<br />
completely fallen dry as in the case of the so-called Lake of the Knez opposite Sinj,<br />
which today is under the plough. 13 Dalyan are also regular features along estuaries, but<br />
9 Tapu ve Kadastro Genel Müdürlüǧü, Defter No. 13, fol. 136a.<br />
10 Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivi, TD 533, p. 804; Tapu ve Kadastro Genel Müdürlüǧü, Defter No.<br />
13, fol. 173a.<br />
11 Tapu ve Kadastro Genel Müdürlüǧü, Defter No. 13, fol. 173a.<br />
12 Vjeran Kursar, “Rat i mir na πibensko-zadarskom podruËju u drugoj polovici 16. stoljeÊa i politika<br />
osmanske Porte (na temelju odredaba centralne vlasti saËuvanih u Mühimme defterima)”,<br />
in: BraÊa Vranjani i vransko podruËje tijekom povijesti. <strong>Zbornik</strong> radova sa znanstvenog skupa<br />
BraÊa Vranjani i vransko podruËje tijekom povijesti odræanog u Biogradu 25. travnja 2014., p.<br />
395-410; esp. p. 401.<br />
13 Tapu ve Kadastro Genel Müdürlüǧü, Defter No. 13, fol. 159a (Vrana); fol. 288a (Nadin); fol.<br />
160a (Skradin); fol. 292b (Knin). For the Lake of the Knez see my article entitled “Sinj and its<br />
Surroundings According to the Ottoman Survey Register BOA TD 533 from 1574”, in: 300. obljetnica<br />
slavne obrane Sinja 1715. godine (1715.—2015.) — <strong>Zbornik</strong> radova s Meappleunarodnoga<br />
16
M. Ursinus: “The Sea Giveth” — Ottoman Ways of Drawing on Coastal Resources...<br />
they are not to be found in the survey registers for any lengths of open coastline, if only<br />
because much of the coastal waters and the shore itself were in Frankish hands. Establishing<br />
the locations of the dalyan in the area under investigation, we find them in<br />
Zrmanja river and estuary up to Maslenica in the North. The situation in some more detail<br />
is this: A first dalyan recorded for the Obrovac area, with a revenue (hasıl) or annual<br />
rent of 100 akçes and an obligation on the lessee to remit the tithe (öşür in Ottoman),<br />
the equivalent of a tenth (sometimes up to a seventh) part of the catch, to the<br />
fortress commanders, extends from the source of the river Zrmanja right up to the sea<br />
(in fact the Bay of Novigrad, Novigradsko more); 14 a second dalyan, known as the fishery<br />
of Ribnica, also with an annual rent of 100 akçes and the same obligation towards<br />
the land-owner (sahib-i arz in Ottoman), continues from “where the river meets the<br />
sea” (i.e. the Bay of Novigrad) to the ruined church of Kolubin 15 “at the Zirmanja<br />
straights”. 16 Although no longer in existence as a church, a spring or well known under<br />
the name of “Golubinka” (north of Ædrilo beneath modern-day Most Maslenica as<br />
shown on a detailed military map of the area) may refer to this ancient church. The<br />
toponym of Ribnica, on the other hand, is attached to the eastern shore of Karinsko<br />
ædrilo, the narrow water that connects the Bay of Novigrad with the Bay of Karin.<br />
About 100 kilometres further south (as the crow flies), in the Bay of Kaπtela, the<br />
principal dalyan recorded in the Ottoman survey registers was initially confined to the<br />
river of Solinac (!), extending from its source to the sea-shore. Its usufruct lay in the<br />
hands of the Klis fortress personnel collectively. 17 About a decade later, around 1585,<br />
the wording of the record changed: “Dalyan in Solin river, [extending] from its source<br />
to the kaπtels [!] of Vranjic and BarbariÊ [!]. If fish is caught by whatever means, the tithe<br />
is to be taken. Annually 50 [akçe rent]”. 18 Quite clearly, the dalyan of Solin, which initially<br />
had been confined to the river of this name, was extended by 1585 to include<br />
part of the eastern Bay of Kaπtela between the peninsula of Vranjic in the South and<br />
what is termed “Kaπtel BarbariÊ”, whose name appears to reflect the name of the small<br />
znanstvenog skupa (300 th anniversary celebration of the glorious defense of Sinj 715 (1715—<br />
2015) — Book of Proceedings from the International Scientific Conference), forthcoming.<br />
14 “talyan der nehr-i Zirmanye [:] nehr-i mezbur kaynaǧından deryaya varınca her ne tarikiyle<br />
mahi sayd olınursa öşrin verür deyü defter-i atikde mukayyed olub vech-i meşruh üzere defteri<br />
cedide sebt olındı tabi-i Obrovac fi sene 100”.<br />
15 “talyan-i Ribnica [:] nehr-i Zirmanye deryaya kavuşyuǧı yerden Kolubin nam harabe kilisaya<br />
gelince her ne tarikiyle mahi sayd olınursa öşrin verir deyü defter-i atikde mukayyed bulınur<br />
defter-i cedide uhdesine kayd olındı fi sene 100”: Tapu ve Kadastro Genel Müdürlüǧü, Defter<br />
No. 13, fol. 174b (Nos 53 and 54); Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivi, TD 728, p. 385.<br />
16 “nehr-i Zirmanye boǧazında”: Tapu ve Kadastro Genel Müdürlüǧü, Defter No. 13, fol. 173a.<br />
17 Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivi, TD 533 (1574—5), p. 450: “talyan der nehr-i Solinac an kaynaki<br />
nehr-i mezbur ila kenar-i derya her ne tarikiyle mahi sayd olınub der tasarruf-i mustahfızan-i<br />
kale-i Klis ve [gayrihi]”.<br />
18 Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivi, TD 622 (ca. 1585), fol. 236a: “talyan der nehr-i Solin kaynak<br />
başından İvraniç ve Barbariç kaştellerine varınca her ne tarikiyle mahi sayd olınursa öşrün alınur<br />
fi sene 50”.<br />
17
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
island of Barbarinac opposite Vranjic, in the West. By 1604, while its (newly extended)<br />
circumference remained the same, its annual rent (probably to counteract the ongoing<br />
devaluation of the silver coinage) increased from 50 to 80 akçes. 19 The evidence suggests<br />
that the coastal area between Barbarinac and Vranjic, which most likely would<br />
have become the location of the new Ottoman port as proposed in the late 1550s, was<br />
designated as part of the Solin dalyan after the border between Ottoman-held territories<br />
(which included the çiftlik or estate of Grand Vizier Rüstem Pasha) and the Terra<br />
Ferma of Split had finally been fixed in 1576. This çiftlik (to add a few comments on<br />
it here) consisted of an unusually large freehold agrarian complex (of freehold or mülk<br />
status) cut out from the Terra Ferma of Split with 70 Christian households, 20 watermills<br />
and five mills for treating linen situated in or along Jadro river. It must have been<br />
his wife Mihrimah Sultan, daughter of Sultan Süleyman, who later succeeded in transforming<br />
the entire çiftlik complex with its additional freehold properties (consisting<br />
mostly of mills) 20 situated towards the Jadro estuary into a pious foundation (vakıf).<br />
Rüstem Paşa's southern çiftlik boundary became, for a time, the equivalent of the Ottoman<br />
external border towards Venice in this area. 21<br />
Below the foothills of the Mosor massif, situated immediately to the east of Rüstem<br />
Pasha’s estate, there were several water-mills along the course of Æirnovnica river<br />
run by various owners, 22 but no dalyans are recorded here. Significantly, neither are<br />
there any for the area further down-stream right up to its estuary in the shallow saltwater<br />
Bay of StobreË. Instead, sizable salt-works appear to have extended in a semicircle<br />
along the inner Bay of StobreË, 23 known in the Ottoman sources as the memlahateyn<br />
(or “two salt-works”) of Sita and Banjsko.<br />
Thanks to the tenacity with which the inhabitants of the so-called “Republic of Poljica”<br />
have held on, both collectively in terms of a “state archive” as well as within individual<br />
families who treasured their forefather’s heirloom, to the historical documents<br />
in their possession, 24 we are relatively well informed about some of the operational de-<br />
19 Tapu ve Kadastro Genel Müdürlüǧü, Defter No. 13 (1604), fol. 136a: “talyan der nehr-i Solin<br />
kaynak başına [sic] İvraniç ve Barbarik kaştellerine varınca her ne tarikiyle mahi sayd olınursa<br />
sahib-i arza öşrin verürler tabi’-i Klis öşr-i mahi fi sene 80”.<br />
20 Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivi, TD 622 (1585), fol. 236b-237a; Tapu ve Kadastro Genel Müdürlüǧü,<br />
Defter No. 13 (1604), fol. 136b-137a.<br />
21 For details see my “From Defter Entries to Landmarks on the Ground: Cooperative Research<br />
in Cleune (Gorica, Livno, Bosnia Hercegovina) on Ottoman Perambulations from the 16 th Century<br />
/ Defter Kayıtlarından Arazideki İşaretlere: Cleune’de (Gorica, Livno, Bosna Hersek) 16.<br />
Yüzyıl Keşfnameleri/Sınırnameler (Perammulation [sic!]) Üzerine İşbirlikçi Araştırma”, in: Fuat<br />
Aydın (ed.), Osmanlı Üzerine Konuşmalar (Istanbul, 2016), p. 83-122.<br />
22 Başbakanlık Osmanlı Arşivi, TD 622, fol. 236b.<br />
23 As to the exact location of (some of) these salt-works, there is some archaeological evidence<br />
on the ground visible from aerial photographs of the area.<br />
24 Research on the archival sources of the Poljica had already started by the middle of the 19 th<br />
century: Marko Miπerda, Spomenici Gornjih Poljica. Pisani spomenici na podruËju Gornjih Poljica<br />
do propasti Poljica godine 1807. (prijepisi, regesti). Priredio: Ivan BaniÊ (Priko, 2003), p.<br />
18
M. Ursinus: “The Sea Giveth” — Ottoman Ways of Drawing on Coastal Resources...<br />
tails concerning the memlahateyn during Ottoman rule — because the Poljica commune<br />
(generally termed opÊina poliËka in contemporary sources), in exchange for certain<br />
(largely fiscal) privileges, had to provide the Ottoman authorities with the workforce<br />
they needed to run the salt-pans of Sita and Banjsko as part of the sultanic salt<br />
monopoly. Despite the archaeological and aerial evidence which clearly point to the<br />
existence of former salt-works around the inner Bay of StobreË, the Ottoman sources<br />
at our disposal, most of them from the Acta Turcica dossiers in the “Archivium Capituli<br />
Cathedralis Spalatensis”, are generally silent about the exact whereabouts of the production<br />
sites. Whereas the memlaha of Sita, the principal works mentioned in the Ottoman<br />
sources, appears to echo the name of the church of Sita on the far side of Æirnovnica<br />
river, i.e. in the north-eastern or eastern section of StobreË Bay; that of<br />
Banjsko, though clearly written, finds no correspondence in the coastal place-names of<br />
today. What complicates matters further is the fact that in one Ottoman document dating<br />
from 1621, 25 a hüccet issued by the Cadi of Klis (in other words: a document signed<br />
by a person who should have known the terrain in question quite well as it constituted<br />
part of his administrative responsibility), the (principal) salt-works of the Padishah<br />
is said to be located near the fortress of Kamen (over two kilometres inland to the<br />
Northwest of StobreË; which indication can only mean that it was situated in the northwestern<br />
section of the bay); in another, dating from 1648, 26 the salt-works of the fortress<br />
of Kamengrad (probably denoting the same stronghold as before) is referred to<br />
as being in ruins and no longer working. By this time, the memlaha of Kamengrad is<br />
referred to as a memlaha no longer in possession of the Ottomans, but of the Franks<br />
(i.e. Venetians), but still constituting a heavy burden on the taxpayers (reaya) of the<br />
Poljica, as the dues (rüsum) traditionally allocated on the salt-works were still demanded<br />
from the local population by, it would appear, the addressees of the instruction, the<br />
captain of Klis fortress and his troop commanders.<br />
Before going into any more details concerning the history of salt production in the<br />
Bay of StobreË — how it was organized as a state monopoly under Ottoman rule<br />
through a system employed for farming out public revenue (mukataa in Ottoman), —<br />
who (apart from the Treasury) benefited from it (and to what extent), — and how<br />
IX. Alfons PaviÊ pl. Pfauenthal (also spelt Pavich) must be credited with being one of the first<br />
to have used, and published summaries of, parts of the Ottoman material: A. PaviÊ, “Prinosi<br />
povjesti Poljica”, in: Glasnik Zemaljskog muzeja XV (Sarajevo, 1903), pp. 59-100; 241-272 and<br />
405-482 (in Croatian). In German: Alfons Pavich, “Beiträge zur Geschichte der Republik Poljica<br />
bei Spalato”, in: Wissenschaftliche Mitteilungen für Bosnien und die Herzegovina Abt. X (Wien,<br />
1907), p. 156-344. Other Ottoman documents from the Poljica area are in the Archaeological<br />
Museum in Split and are described by Sulejman BajraktareviÊ, “Turski dokumenti u splitskom<br />
arheoloπkom muzeju i u franjevaËkom samostanu na Visovcu”, in Starine 44 (Zagreb, 1952, p.<br />
25-62.<br />
25 Archivium Capituli Cathedralis Spalatensis (ACCS), Acta Turcica, dossier 493, no. 31, dated<br />
evail-i Rebiyülahir 1030h/ 23 February — 4 March 1621.<br />
26 ACCS, dossier 493, no. 36, dated 22 Muharrem 1058h/ 17 February 1648.<br />
19
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
working conditions may have been like for those among the inhabitants of the Poljica<br />
who were charged with the task of extracting the salt from the brine and transporting<br />
the “white gold” to its destination — it may be instructive to listen to the full text of an<br />
Ottoman document issued by a treasury official in Sarajevo on 25 August 1611. 27 Addressed<br />
to the “chiefs” (knez) and taxpayers (reaya in Ottoman) of the nahiye of Poljica,<br />
it formulates the response by the Ottoman provincial authorities in Sarajevo to the<br />
complaints and demands submitted in person by a “delegation” of local Christian people<br />
from the Poljica about the criminal behaviour of the salt-work’s Muslim leaseholder<br />
or “supervisor” (nazır in Ottoman), Hüseyin Nazır, and his brother, Hasan Aǧa, who<br />
apparently also held some position in the tax-farming or running of the Sultan’s memlaha.<br />
HE [= GOD]<br />
[You] knezes and reaya of the nahiye of Poljica — on arrival of this tezkere you are to<br />
know that some reaya proceeded to this [our] seat of government in order to complain:<br />
Not only did the “supervisor” (nazır) of the tax-farm (mukataa) of the district of the Poljica,<br />
Hüseyin Nazır, kill two Christian peasants (reaya) with his own hand, his brother,<br />
Hasan Aǧa, rather than preventing him from executing his evil deed, himself butchered<br />
two more Christian peasants and [even] seized one hundred heads of your life-stock,<br />
thereby causing you considerable damage. This is why the afore-mentioned Hüseyin<br />
Nazır was dismissed from [supervising] you. In order to prevent a decline in the income<br />
from the mukataa, and in order to make sure that the revenue from the mukataa is remitted<br />
through state institutions until the completion of the lease contract, one of the<br />
chavushes of the Sublime Porte, the model of his peers and of those who are his<br />
equals, Korkud Çavuş (may his power increase!), was sent [to you]. As soon as he arrives,<br />
the following is of the essence: In future, nothing may be heard again about this<br />
matter; never again will the said Hüseyin Nazır be allowed to be installed as a supervisor,<br />
[since] he was rejected by your-selves. To avoid any final damage to the state<br />
treasury, a clerk (katib) is to be appointed by the aforementioned tchavush, the nazır,<br />
so that it is possible to establish how much money has already been collected, which<br />
the said tchavush is then to gather and remit to the Bosnian treasury (Bosna hazinesine).<br />
Further, an order (mektub) has been sent to the commanders of Klis fortress (Klis<br />
aǧalarına), instructing them that, on completion of the lease contract by the supervisor<br />
mentioned before, [this function] is bestowed on another worthy person that you<br />
[might] want, and to make sure that those who oppress [you] are prevented from doing<br />
so. If God the Almighty so wishes — this you must know — there will be no-one<br />
who oppresses you in future; but should you experience any kind of tyranny, you are<br />
to report it to this [our] seat of government. You are to understand that those who suffer<br />
from oppression are to be offered protection in this epoch of ours. Written on the<br />
27 ACCS, AT dossier 493, no. 7.<br />
20
M. Ursinus: “The Sea Giveth” — Ottoman Ways of Drawing on Coastal Resources...<br />
15 th [day] of the month Cumadiyülahir in the year 1020 [of the Hegira; or 25 August<br />
1611] in the well-protected residence of Saray. [Signed:] [Your] humble servant, Mehmed.<br />
We do not know what led to the manslaughter or murder of four Christian peasants<br />
from the Poljica district and the alleged theft of 100 of their life-stock by the acting<br />
nazır or “supervisor” of the salt-works, Hüseyin Nazır, and his brother, Hasan Aǧa<br />
— both probably officers from the fortress of Klis. On the basis of the sources I have<br />
seen, it is impossible to say what the motivation for this act may have been — the document<br />
itself gives nothing away. Other documents reporting deaths are more forthcoming,<br />
such as a tezkere about the death of a worker from Dubrava village who (if I read<br />
correctly) was accused of having stolen some salt while on duty in the memlaha. 28 But<br />
it seems certain that on account of the complaints tabled in Sarajevo before the divan<br />
of Bosnia by the Poljica “delegation”, Hüseyin Nazır was dismissed “for good” from his<br />
position and (temporarily) replaced by an “outsider”, a functionary of the Sublime Porte.<br />
We also learn that the fortress commanders of Klis (as it seems the principal figures<br />
and beneficiaries in the “farming” of this salt-works as a state monopoly at that time)<br />
were instructed by the provincial government in Sarajevo to henceforth appoint only<br />
supervisors who had the Poljica’s full confidence (lit. “someone trustworthy you may<br />
wish for”: istediǧiniz yarar kimesne). In effect, if adhered to, this would have amounted<br />
to conceding to the Poljica salt-workers some kind of veto in the appointment of<br />
their “supervisor”. But not every promise is being honoured. Although Hüseyin appears<br />
to have indeed been finally replaced by a certain İbrahim Aǧa by 1615, 29 a mere eight<br />
years after his dismissal “for good” he again figures in a letter (mektub) issued by the<br />
provincial government between 26 April and 5 May 1619 as nazır Hüseyin Aǧa. 30<br />
The earliest documents I have seen in the Poljica dossiers in Kaptolski arhiv referring<br />
to the “salt-works of Sita and Banjsko” (Sita ve Bansko memlahaları), 31 or just “the<br />
tax-farm of Sita” (Sita mukataası), date from before 1566, when the salt-works in StobreË<br />
bay was really supposed to have been established. 32 Indeed, they date from about<br />
a decade after the final conquest of Klis by the Ottomans in 1537. Together with the<br />
nahiye of Poljica, which constituted part of the Sultan’s domains (havass-i hümayun) in<br />
Hercegovina, the salt-works were, it seems, initially administered from the capital of<br />
28 ACCS, AT dossier 493, no. 30, dated evail-i Zilhicce 1055h/ 18-7 January 1646.<br />
29 ACCS, AT dossier 492, no. 108, dated 23 Ramazan 1024h/ 16 October 1615.<br />
30 ACCS, AT dossier 492, no. 121, dated evasıt-i Cumadiyülevvel 1028h.<br />
31 Misread as “Stevabanska” in the Croatian translations used by A. PaviÊ for his “Prinosi povjesti<br />
Poljica” (cf. p. 254). The earliest Ottoman document in this collection is described by PaviÊ<br />
as dating from the year 917 of the Hegira (1511—12; not 1513 as indicated): PaviÊ, “Prinosi povjesti<br />
Poljica”, p. 241. BajraktareviÊ, “Turski dokumenti”, p. 38 proposes “Strojatska” or “Strojanska”<br />
as the name of the salt-works.<br />
32 “Joπ oko godine 1567. radili su PoljiËani u solanama”: Ivan PivËeviÊ, Povijest Poljica (Split,<br />
1921), p. 73. Cf. Grga Novak, Povijest Splita. 3 vols (Split, 2005), vol. II, p. 86f.<br />
21
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
the sancak of Hersek while run by Christian katunar from Poljica; any licence (zadozvola<br />
in Slavo-Ottoman) for working it was apparently requested from there. 33 In 1548,<br />
the works was operated under the joint supervision of two üstker, or foremen, one appointed<br />
by the Treasury, the other chosen locally. Two-thirds of the production was to<br />
be remitted to the state, while one third was to remain (and be distributed locally). 34<br />
By 1555, the Poljica authorities could muster, by their own estimation, 40 to 50 workers<br />
to dig for salt “when necessary” (hin-i hacetde). 35 There were now four üstker in<br />
charge of the works under the Collector of Revenues (amil), 36 and altogether twelve<br />
katunar were responsible for organizing the supply of workmen to the Poljica memlaha<br />
by 1560. 37 Of the four üstker in charge of the salt-works (memlaha üstkerleri), two<br />
(apparently senior) foremen were to receive eight akçe each as wages (ulufe), the other<br />
two (junior ones?) six akçe each. These sums were supposed to be paid by the Collector<br />
of Revenues (amil), but this official tried to make the Poljica community pay for<br />
the üstkers’ wages, which is why they filed a complaint against him, addressed to the<br />
Sublime Porte. Since the Poljica nahiye had by then (if only temporarily) come under<br />
the responsibility of the Cadi of Skradin (it later came under the Cadi of Klis), the case<br />
was forwarded to him, resulting in a warning by this official not to violate ancient law<br />
(kanun-i kadim) and traditional practice. 38 In what appears to be the draft of another<br />
petition drawn up by the inhabitants of the Poljica nahiye which probably dates from<br />
the late 16 th / early 17 th century, more details are given about the inner organization of<br />
the Sita and Banjsko salt-works under the organization of the twelve katunar, each of<br />
them headed by a knez commanding (or supported by) two officers called ratay: The<br />
salt extracting operation lasts for six months, from Hızır day (6 May) to Kasım day (8<br />
November); for operating the two salt-works (memlahateyn) they employ a regular<br />
workforce of altogether seven üstker or foremen and 16 workmen (rabotıǧ in Slavo-Ottoman)<br />
working, it seems, in shifts (how else would this square with the above figure<br />
of 40-50 workers “in time of need”?). Each foreman receives 24 muzur of salt (1 muzur<br />
= c. 60 kg), while each rabotıǧ is allocated 14 muzur of salt by the state monopoly<br />
(nezd-i miriden). During the three-year term of office of Nuh Aǧa as “supervisor”<br />
(nazır) of the Sita and Banjsko salt-works, 39 each year 12,000 muzur (c. 720 tons) of<br />
33 ACCS, AT dossier 492, no. 104, dated Edirne, evasıt-i Safer 958h/ 18-27 February 1551.<br />
34 ACCS, AT dossier 493, no. 13, dated Mostar, evahir-i Safer 955h/ 1-10 April 1548.<br />
35 ACCS, AT dossier 492, no. 76, dated 29 Cumadiyülahir 962h/ 21 May 1555.<br />
36 ACCS, AT dossier 492, no, 76, dated 29 Cumadiyülahir 962h/ 21 May 1555.<br />
37 ACCS, AT dossier 493, no. 38, dated evail-i Şaban 967h/ 27 April — 6 May 1560; cf. Dossier<br />
493, no. 56. On the twelve Poljica katuna see PaviÊ, “Prinosi povjesti Poljica”, 87f. (describing<br />
the situation in 1666).<br />
38 ACCS, AT dossier 492, no. 76, dated 29 Cumadiyülahir 962h/ 21 May 1555.<br />
39 This Nuh Aǧa is referred to as the emin of the Poljica nahiye in an undated document in<br />
ACCS, AT dossier 493, no. 29.<br />
40 ACCS, AT dossier 493, no. 8, undated.<br />
22
M. Ursinus: “The Sea Giveth” — Ottoman Ways of Drawing on Coastal Resources...<br />
salt were produced (mahsul). 40 Financial transactions reflecting the operating of the<br />
salt-works as a money-lending concern are detailed for the year 1031H/ 1621-2 in a<br />
document from 1625. 41 In a firman from 1640 it is stated in retrospect that “since the<br />
time of the imperial conquest”, the (regular) workforce consisted of seven foremen<br />
(here: ustad) and 16 “apprentices” (şakird) receiving an annual allowance of 15 muzur<br />
of salt; again probably meaning that this is the size of the workforce labouring at any<br />
one time. 42 An annual salt production of 30,000 vezne (1 vezne = c. 30 kg approximating<br />
900 tons, the achievement of hard toil in the padishah’s memlaha “at night and<br />
during the day” (gece ve gündüz), is claimed in an undated petition or arzuhal as the<br />
current figure, 43 which contrasts with the undertaker’s “traditional” annual advance<br />
payment of 450,000 akçe, now (1637) fraudulently increased to 600,000 akçe, raising<br />
the threat that the population, overcharged by the undertaker in an attempt to recoup<br />
the advanced sums, could flee to other parts of the Ottoman Empire and even to the<br />
lands of the Franks (Firengistan). 44 At about the same time, in 1635, a temessük issued<br />
by the Cadi of Klis in response to yet another complaint by the PoljiËani, mentions an<br />
actual decline in the memlaha’s output, which is said to have encouraged the emin of<br />
the Poljica to levy higher taxes on the local population. 45 In recognition of their service,<br />
so the document, the annual head-tax or filuri payment of the workforce had, according<br />
to the most recent land survey registers (defter-i cedid-i hakani), amounted to<br />
no more than 45 akçe, 46 about half the regular rate, but now an illegal “surcharge” of<br />
40 akçe was demanded. 47 Clearly, all was not well in the salt-works (and indeed in Poljica<br />
nahiye) by the mid-17 th century. In a document from 1648, the salt-works, which<br />
had just fallen into Venetian hands, 48 is referred to as lying in ruins and having stopped<br />
working altogether. 49<br />
We have now been talking so much about water that you may be surprised at the<br />
amount of dry information that has resulted from our endeavours. Yet the Ottomans<br />
were keen administrators, eager to record sources of revenue wherever they found<br />
them. Following established guidelines, they followed a rather stereotype format also<br />
41 ACCS, AT dossier 492, no. 100, dated evasıt-i Rebiyülevvel 1035h/ 11-20 December 1625.<br />
42 ACCS, AT dossier 494, no. 59, dated evasıt-i Cumadiyülevvel 1050h/ 29 August — 7 September<br />
1640; cf. ACCS, AT dossier 493, no. 35, dated evail-i Zilkade 1050h/ 12-21 February 1641.<br />
43 ACCS, AT dossier 492, no. 75 (undated).<br />
44 ACCS, AT dossier 492, no. 94, dated 22 Rebiyülevvel 1047h/ 14 August 1637.<br />
45 ACCS, AT dossier 493, no. 18, dated Cumadiyülevvel 1045h/ 13 October — 11 November<br />
1635.<br />
46 ACCS, AT dossier 492, no. 70 (undated).<br />
47 ACCS, AT dossier 493, no. 36 (undated); cf, no. 30 (undated) and no. 31, dated evail-i Rebiyülahir<br />
1030h/ 23 February — 4 March 1621.<br />
48 Under Leonardo Foscolo, proveditur of Dalmatia 1645—1651: PaviÊ, “Prinosi povjesti Poljica”,<br />
p. 409.<br />
49 ACCS, AT dossier 493, no. 36, dat. 22 Muharrem 1058h/ 17 February 1648.<br />
23
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
in the wording of their records, which on the one hand helps the historian today in deciphering<br />
the handwritten defters, tezkeres and temessüks, but on the other hand much<br />
information that we wish they had recorded is passed over in silence. What may the<br />
coastal bazaar of Podmorje (note the name!) near Kolubin church have looked like on<br />
a market day, with the temporary stalls of the trading people offering their produce?<br />
And how may the fishermen in the Bay of Vranjic below the ruins of ancient Salona,<br />
subjects of the Ottoman sultan, have gone after their prey in the immediate vicinity of<br />
the Venetian galleys, with only an invisible sea frontier separating them from the “enemy”?<br />
And finally the actual working conditions in the Sita salt-pans — none of that<br />
was of much (or any) concern to the surveyor of revenue. And yet — I hope we can<br />
all agree to that — some glimpses of what it may have been like in the coastal “hinterland”<br />
of Vis under Ottoman control can be gleaned from our sources despite their<br />
limitations.<br />
24
MEDITERRANEAN<br />
ISSUES<br />
Livija Æumer: Under the latin wing
Fran Horvat: Silent sea<br />
Art, Culture,<br />
History,Tradition
Dionigi ALBERA<br />
THE VIRGIN MARY AS A BRIDGE<br />
BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM:<br />
A MEDITERRANEAN EXPLORATION<br />
In its history as well as in its present, the Mediterranean world appears dotted by a multitude<br />
of cultural divisions. In this space, cultural borders are omnipresent and often<br />
have a religious shade that confers them a particular firmness. The great French historian<br />
Fernand Braudel formulated a particularly powerful expression of this situation in<br />
his major book on the Mediterranean and in his successive works (Braudel 1966; 1985)<br />
where he examined the role of civilizations in this region. For him, three great Mediterranean<br />
civilizations exist: Latinity, Islam and the Greek world. He observes that civilizations<br />
are ambivalent: they can be fraternal or exclusive, peaceful or warlike, mobile<br />
or astonishingly fixed. In reality, if we look closer, we realize that, in Braudel's vision,<br />
the contradiction is only apparent. His argument invariably tends to show that the<br />
first term of each of these oppositions corresponds only to a surface impression and<br />
that it is the second that captures the constitutive foundation of each civilization. He<br />
proposes a cartography in which the Mediterranean is split in three civilizations that<br />
have occupied the same places for centuries. They correspond to three cultural communities<br />
that are characterized by distinctive ways of thinking, believing, eating and<br />
drinking. Their mutual relations are essentially antagonistic: they are three “monsters”<br />
always ready to show their teeth. According to Braudel, the basis that gives civilizations<br />
their astonishing stability is their inscription in space, but also their fidelity to a set of<br />
basic cultural orientations, which the hazards of overlays and exchanges never arrive<br />
to alter. In this context, the religious dimension appears of paramount importance: religion<br />
is the powerful drive of each civilization and shapes a set of practices that found<br />
the difference with the “other” (Braudel 1966, II: 483-580).<br />
A somewhat opposite approach to cultural frontiers was proposed by Shelomo<br />
Dov Goitein (1999), whose impressive book in six volumes, A Mediterranean Society,<br />
constitutes the other great historiographical monument consecrated to the Mediterranean<br />
during the twentieth century, comparable to that of Braudel. Goitein also aimed at<br />
a global history, but he conceived it in a diametrically opposed way with respect to<br />
Braudel’s Méditerranée. Goitein’s starting point is a single archive, that of the Geniza<br />
in Cairo, which allows him to reconstruct the life of the Jewish community that lived<br />
in Fustat in the Middle Ages and to trace its contacts in other sectors of the Mediterranean<br />
(and even further, up to India). Goitein’s book reveals a whole society taking<br />
shape: economic, social and religious life; contracts, domestic problems, travel and re-<br />
29
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
turns; festivals and ceremonies; expressions of friendship, dreams and visions — everything<br />
is revealed with clarity to the reader. Although this is a study of a single community<br />
in a specific period (between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries), the scope is<br />
undoubtedly much broader. The documents of the Geniza reveal a world in motion<br />
that covers whole sectors of the Mediterranean, from Spain to Palestine, and maintains<br />
relations that go beyond the Jewish community. Moreover, for Goitein, the society revealed<br />
by the Geniza had many aspects in common with the Christian and Muslim societies<br />
of the same period. In short, the world of the Geniza can be considered as a<br />
sort of “sample”, miraculously preserved to us, that yields important clues about the entire<br />
medieval Mediterranean. The result is a vision of cultural dynamics in many ways<br />
opposed to the eternal conflict of civilizations suggested by Braudel. Goitein emphasizes<br />
the weight of similarities, loans and symbiosis between Jews and Muslims. Trade<br />
relations may have diluted religious conflicts, and proximity generated forms of familiarity<br />
and friendship despite the barriers of faith. A paradoxical mixture of parochialism<br />
and openness characterizes the society Goitein describes.<br />
On the whole, Goitein's localized approach offers a series of elements to understand<br />
an entire society and an entire historical period. Many recent works on the Mediterranean<br />
have in turn adopted an approach focused on the local dimension and on<br />
the close study of individual behaviors, pursuing various lines of research in the field<br />
of economic and, above all, cultural history. These explorations show the existence of<br />
bridges that somehow relativize ethnic, religious and political divisions in the Mediterranean<br />
space. Various forms of interaction and exchange then appear, and the borders<br />
are sometimes diluted in zones of transition 1 . Some studies devoted to commerce have<br />
focused attention on the micro-analytical dimension, taking into consideration the individual<br />
merchants, their families and their connections. In this way, the complexity of<br />
commercial networks emerged, which could often transcend political and religious borders<br />
(Faroqhi and Wenstein 2008; Trivellato 2009). In a similar perspective, the role of<br />
intermediaries and interpreters was important, as was that of the lingua franca, which<br />
allowed for limited but effective exchanges on the Mediterranean coasts (Rothman<br />
2011; Dakhlia 2008). Slavery has increasingly been recognized as a phenomenon of<br />
great magnitude. The significant presence of European slaves in Ottoman ports and of<br />
Muslim slaves in European ports during the modern era was a factor of complexity that<br />
was by no means negligible and has been brought to light by recent research (Bono<br />
1993; 1999; Fiume 2009; Dakhlia and Vincent 2011; Dakhlia and Kaiser 2013). Various<br />
works have been consecrated to the study of scientific and artistic interactions (Saliba<br />
2007; Ben-Zaken 2010; Howard 2000; Necipoǧlu 2005; Jardine and Brotton 2005). Particularly<br />
fascinating are the studies dedicated to renegades and “amphibious” personalities,<br />
able to extricate themselves from multiple religious identities (Benassar and Benassar<br />
1989; Scaraffia 1993; Garcia-Arenal and Wiggers 2003; Zemon Davis 2006; Durst-<br />
1 For useful overviews, see Dusteler 2011 b and Greene <strong>2018</strong>.<br />
30
D. Albera: The Virgin Mary as a Bridge Between Christianity and Islam...<br />
eler 2011 a; Buttay <strong>2018</strong>) and the research that explores the forms of interreligious coexistence<br />
at the local level (Greene 2000; Meyerson and English 2000, Dursteler 2006;<br />
Malcom 2015).<br />
In the last few years, I have worked on a particular expression of the close interreligious<br />
cohabitation in the Mediterranean, namely, the common frequentation of the<br />
same sanctuaries by believers of different religions (Albera 2008; Albera and Couroucli<br />
2012). As several other studies have shown (Cormack 2013; Barkan and Barkey 2014),<br />
these phenomena have been pervasive in this region’s past and are still widespread<br />
nowadays. As a whole, these works reveal several forms of commonality and juxtaposition<br />
among Christians, Jews and Muslims. People of different religions gather in the<br />
same holy place because they are animated by a common quest for supernatural help.<br />
What is shared, in this case, is a tendency to seek comfort by visiting a sacred site and<br />
searching for the help of a holy being that functions as a kind of intermediate between<br />
the human sphere and the divine one. In monotheistic religions, the saints fulfill the<br />
same thaumaturgical functions, and the mediation of these more concrete intercessors<br />
remedies, to some extent, the distance to God. This mixed frequentation activates a<br />
common devotional lexicon. Many practices present significant convergences — for instance,<br />
regarding devotional itineraries, thaumaturgical qualities of saints or acts that<br />
express faith. Devotional gestures performed by Christians, Jews or Muslims at shrines<br />
often resemble each other through a shared repertoire of concrete and tactile piety,<br />
which is part of a vernacular vocabulary, largely transversal and often condemned or<br />
simply tolerated by the respective religious authorities. On a more official level, despite<br />
crucial theological differences, the three religions also share several features in terms<br />
of beliefs, episodes and relevant figures that are sanctioned by the sacred texts. For instance,<br />
some biblical patriarchs, prophets and kings are commonly recognized and may<br />
have become the most obvious references for worship shared by monotheistic religions.<br />
Their traces have materialized in some sanctuaries where the followers of the<br />
three religions sometimes converge.<br />
Among the holy figures that act as bridges between religions, Mary perhaps has<br />
the dominant role. In the following pages I will be concerned with this aspect and will<br />
try to examine from this particular angle the interfaith practices involving Christians and<br />
Muslims in Mediterranean history 2 .<br />
AN ISLAMIC MARY<br />
Mary cannot be considered only as a Christian figure. Alongside the Christian Mary, an<br />
Islamic Mary also exists, who has an eminent role in the context of this revelation. She<br />
is often evoked in the Qur’an, where she is the only female figure designated by her<br />
name, while all the other women are simply indicated as daughter, wife, mother or sister<br />
of a man whose name is given. To give a quantitative hint of her importance, we<br />
2 On this topic see also Albera 2012.<br />
31
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
may consider that the name of Mary recurs more times in the Qur’an than in the whole<br />
of the New Testament: thirty-four occurrences versus nineteen. In addition to evocations<br />
scattered throughout the text, Mary is a central figure in two suras. The nineteenth<br />
sura bears her name, which is another clear statement of her theological centrality.<br />
There are certainly crucial theological differences between the two religions: while<br />
Christians see Mary as the Mother of God, Muslims consider her to be only the mother<br />
of a major prophet. Yet the prominence of the Islamic Mary from a theological point<br />
of view is indisputable. According to the Qur’an, Mary is a sign for humanity and an<br />
example for believers; she is a living model of trust, abandonment to divine will, modesty<br />
and piety (Dousse 2005). The references to Mary present in the Qur'an have been<br />
expanded by the Muslim tradition in the hadiths, in the commentaries of the Qur’an,<br />
in mystical literature and elsewhere. To sum up, the importance of this figure within<br />
Islam can hardly be exaggerated.<br />
Some devotional practices connected to Mary remain confined to a strictly Muslim<br />
sacred perimeter. For example, some mosques are dedicated to Mary, although this<br />
seems more of a recent phenomenon. Quite often one of the Qur’an verses on Mary<br />
(3: 37) frames mosque prayer niches (mihrabs). In all these cases the reference to Marian<br />
devotion is rather indirect and symbolic. However, a more direct allusion to Mary<br />
exists in Jerusalem’s Haram el Sharif. Here an Oratory of Mary (marking the place<br />
where she would have lived inside the Temple) associated to the Cradle of Jesus,<br />
where the Child would have spoken to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, has been an important<br />
site for many centuries from a devotional point of view and was a meeting<br />
point for Muslim mystics (Matar 2017).<br />
Sometimes the relevance of the Virgin Mary has also concerned the transfer of holy<br />
sites to Islam through their transformation into mosques. In these cases, the architecture<br />
and decoration were modified in order to respect the aniconic propensity of Islam.<br />
According to an ancient tradition, already narrated by the Arab historian Azraqi<br />
(ninth century), when the Prophet Mohamed conquered Mecca, he ordered the destruction<br />
of all the idols and paintings present at the Kaaba, with the exception of an<br />
image representing Mary with Jesus in her lap (see for example King 2004). This legendary<br />
episode has been highly influential, and the protection accorded by the Prophet<br />
to the painting of Mary and the Child could function as a model for concrete behavior.<br />
A fascinating example of this attitude comes from the vicissitudes of Hagia Sophia<br />
in Istanbul. Immediately after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, Mehmed<br />
II transformed Justinian’s prestigious and magnificent church into a mosque. The<br />
moment he first formally entered into the vanquished city, the young sultan visited<br />
Hagia Sophia. Contemporary court historians describe that he was instantly struck both<br />
by the edifice’s ruined state and by its vastness and artistic beauty. He immediately ordered<br />
that Hagia Sophia be repaired and converted into his royal mosque (Necipoǧlu<br />
1992: 196-197). The transformation of the building’s functions did not imply radical<br />
32
D. Albera: The Virgin Mary as a Bridge Between Christianity and Islam...<br />
changes in its structure and decoration. The former church was emptied of its relics,<br />
crosses and icons; the bells were removed from the belltower, and the cross was detached<br />
from the summit of the dome. Two minarets were added to the exterior, while<br />
a marble minbar and mihrab were added to the interior. The figural mosaics on the<br />
lower levels were plastered over. On the contrary, the Byzantine mosaics situated<br />
above or in other sectors of the building, beyond the view of the praying congregation,<br />
remained almost intact (Necipoǧlu 1992: 203-204). This situation lasted until the<br />
beginnings of the seventeenth century, when the sultan Ahmad I carried out major repairs<br />
in Hagia Sophia between 1607 and 1609. It is probably in this context that several<br />
mosaics, including the gigantic Pantokrator on the dome, disappeared under paint<br />
(Necipoǧlu 1992: 210-18). Ahmed I was a pious Muslim, known for being an extremely<br />
scrupulous devout and particularly sensitive to the issue of aniconism (Necipoǧlu<br />
1992: 217-218). Yet, even the renovations ordered by this zealous believer did not concern<br />
the mosaics situated outside the main prayer space. Moreover, not all the mosaics<br />
present in this space, and therefore exposed to the sight of the congregation during<br />
prayer, were covered: “the only mosaics spared in the main prayer space were the four<br />
seraphim on the pendentives and the Virgin and Child in the conch of the apse above<br />
the mihrab flanked by the archangels Gabriel and Michael” (Necipoǧlu 1992: 218). It is<br />
undoubtedly meaningful that the only figural mosaics that were not painted over corresponded<br />
to angelical figures mentioned in the Qur’an and to the Virgin Mary with<br />
the Child (the episode of the Prophet Mohamed at the Kaaba operating probably as a<br />
model for the sultan) 3 .<br />
In some cases, we encounter sources that testify that Muslims could pray to the<br />
Virgin Mary in disparate life situations. This could happen, for instance, in a situation<br />
of personal danger, as described in the following episode. In May 1671, Father Robert<br />
de Dreux (who was then based in Istanbul as chaplain of the French Ambassador) decided<br />
to visit the islands of the Aegean Sea. He boarded a Greek ship and was under<br />
the protection of another passenger, a Turkish soldier, who was travelling to Chios.<br />
They communicated in Italian, which the Turk had learned during his captivity in Venice.<br />
Suddenly, the boat was surprised by a storm, and deafening cries filled the ship<br />
since the danger was extreme. According to the father, the Turkish soldier had asked<br />
for “the aid of the Santissima Madonna, it is to say, the Blessed Virgin, having heard,<br />
when he was a prisoner of war in Venice, that her intercession is very favourable.” The<br />
soldier himself later confirmed this to de Dreux. Apparently, this supernatural help was<br />
effective because the boat managed to escape to a small port on the Marmara Sea. It<br />
is clear from the chronicle written by de Dreux that this Turkish soldier was absolute-<br />
3 This hypothesis is suggested by Necipoǧlu (1992: 218). It is only in the mid-18th century that<br />
a growing emphasis on dogmatic Islam and intolerance to figurative representation definitely<br />
triumphed of the hybrid situation in Hagia Sophia: all the Byzantine mosaics were then whitewashed,<br />
after almost three centuries of cohabitation with the symbols of Islam inside the<br />
mosque.<br />
33
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
ly not a convert to Christianity. A few days later, he visited a Muslim hermit, still accompanied<br />
by the father (de Dreux 1925: 62-64).<br />
It is naturally difficult to assess the frequency of such a private devotion, which<br />
was probably quite widespread. We have more information on public displays of Marian<br />
piety, namely the pious frequentation of Muslims to Christian holy places dedicated<br />
to the Virgin Mary. In several respects, it is possible to say that praying to Mary at<br />
Christian shrines is by far the main vehicle through which Muslims manifested their devotion<br />
to this major figure of their religious tradition through the centuries.<br />
MUSLIM DEVOTEES AT MARIAN SHRINES<br />
The web of interfaith practice among Christians and Muslims under the aegis of Mary<br />
was well established in the Mediterranean region, where many sources attest to its tenacity<br />
throughout the centuries. In this ancient zone of cohabitation, it is possible to<br />
draw centuries-old Islamic topography of the Virgin Mary, dotted with a number of<br />
shrines jointly worshipped by Christians and Muslims.<br />
Several Marian sites within the Holy Land frequently constitute points of encounter<br />
between Christians and Muslims and, from this point of view, Bethlehem may be<br />
considered the epicenter of the Islamic topography of the Virgin Mary. As early as the<br />
tenth century, Eutychius (877—940), a Melchite Patriarch of Alexandria, reported that<br />
Muslims gathered for prayer in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. According to<br />
Eutychius, the Muslims removed the mosaics from the apse and celebrated community<br />
prayer there (Marmardji 1951: 25). Apparently, the official Muslim presence inside<br />
the basilica ceased in the centuries after the Crusades and subsequent sources are silent<br />
concerning the mihrab and a space inside the church reserved to Muslims. Yet this<br />
did not put an end to the Muslims’ frequentation of this pilgrimage place.<br />
Accounts of Christian pilgrims throughout the centuries describe the presence of<br />
Muslims who traveled to Bethlehem to worship the Blessed Virgin and her child. According<br />
to a local legend, before fleeing to Egypt, Mary had taken refuge with Jesus in<br />
a cave situated in Bethlehem, where some drops of her milk had fallen, conferring a<br />
miraculous power upon the space. Century after century, women of different religions<br />
have crushed fragments of the cave’s rock walls into powder, which, when mixed with<br />
water, they drank to ensure the abundance of their own milk. The Franciscan monk<br />
Francesco Suriano (ca. 1450—1530), a well-informed witness who spent several years<br />
in the Holy Land between the end of the fifteenth century and the beginning of the sixteenth<br />
century, writes that the fragments of the marble wall of the Church of the Nativity<br />
were used in a similar way: “the Moslem women make bread [with the fragments],<br />
and when it is baked, they send it throughout the country: a piece of this is taken by<br />
expectant mothers when they feel the pangs of child birth; when eaten they bring forth<br />
without pain, according to what these Moslem women told me.” (Suriano 1949: 137).<br />
The Christian-Islamic topography of Mary is not certainly limited to Bethlehem.<br />
Another central site is the Church of the Tomb of the Virgin Mary at the foot of the<br />
34
D. Albera: The Virgin Mary as a Bridge Between Christianity and Islam...<br />
Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, where for many centuries a mihrab was present indicating<br />
the direction that the numerous Muslim devotees who came to visit the tomb of the<br />
mother of Jesus should face during prayer. The sources attesting Muslim attendance of<br />
this site have been reiterated since the fourteenth century. A precise drawing by Bernardino<br />
Amico, who lived in the Holy Land in the last years of the sixteenth century,<br />
shows the presence of a mihrab alongside several altars belonging to various Christian<br />
denominations (Amico 1620).<br />
Major Marian sites attracting also a Muslim clientele started developing in the Middle<br />
Ages in other territories of the Eastern Mediterranean belonging to Islamic rulers.<br />
An important example is the Greek orthodox monastery of Saidnaya, approximately<br />
twenty-five kilometers from Damascus. This shrine was immensely popular during the<br />
Middle Ages and attracted a great number of pilgrims. Particularly reputed was an icon<br />
of the Virgin attributed to St. Luke to which many miracles were credited. A perfumed<br />
liquid with miraculous properties was collected under the icon and distributed to pilgrims.<br />
The veneration of the Madonna of Saydnaya was common to Greek Orthodox,<br />
Catholics and Ethiopians, but concerned also Muslim devotees. Several medieval accounts<br />
affirm that Muslims frequented this sanctuary in order to pray to the Virgin Mary<br />
and mention miracles concerning Muslim faithful (see Devos 1947). Burchard of Strasbourg,<br />
the envoy whom Emperor Frederick I sent to Saladin in 1175, visited Saydnaya<br />
and documented its frequentation by Muslims: “All Saracens of that country flock to<br />
that place on the Assumption and the Nativity of the Glorious Virgin, together with the<br />
Christians, in order to pray there. The Saracens offer there their ceremonies with utmost<br />
devotion” (Kedar 2001: 93). Although Saydnaya became less important during the<br />
early modern times, the miraculous properties of the icon continued to draw mixed<br />
crowds of pilgrims. In the seventeenth century, Laurent d’Arvieux saw that Muslims frequented<br />
the sanctuary and that they entered “after being purified, as when they enter<br />
their Mosques” (d’Arvieux 1735, II: 462).<br />
In Egypt Christians and Muslims have jointly worshiped several sacred sites linked<br />
to the tradition of the Holy Family’s passage. The most important of these sites, Matariyeh<br />
(near Cairo), has been mentioned by Coptic Muslim and Catholic authors since the<br />
Middle Ages as a place where the Holy Family stayed in Egypt (Zanetti 1993). Throughout<br />
several centuries, features of the landscape have been remarked upon by chroniclers:<br />
a garden of fruit trees; the sycamore where the Virgin hid her child; balsamic trees<br />
with therapeutic virtues; a miraculous source. In 1175, Burchard of Strasbourg relates<br />
that the fountain “is venerated by the Saracens down to the present day, and they bring<br />
candles and incense when they wash themselves there. At Epiphany a vast number of<br />
people flock there from all confines, and wash themselves in its water.” (Kedar 2001:<br />
89). Throughout the centuries, the heart of this site — and the center of its symbolic<br />
power — was the space of the garden and the spring. Since the twelfth century, Coptic<br />
priests have celebrated mass here using a stone near the source as an altar (Zanetti<br />
1993: 32-39). Around 1480, Felix Fabri and Joos van Ghistele saw a rudimentary<br />
35
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
building, without a roof, enclosing the pool of miraculous water and the stone where<br />
the Virgin would have put the Infant (Fabri 1975: 385; van Ghistele 1976: 70-72). Some<br />
years later a more solid structure made of brick was erected. In the following centuries<br />
this structure (referred to by Western pilgrims as a chapel, a mosque or the house of<br />
the Holy Family) was used by both Christians and Muslims for prayer and for bathing.<br />
It contained an altar on which Christian priests could say mass. At the beginning of seventeenth<br />
century, one of them, Father Boucher, stated that when he was celebrating<br />
mass there, Muslims came in to make their devotions and perform ablutions (Fedden<br />
1944: 41).<br />
A SYMBOLIC BRIDGE ACROSS RELIGIOUS DIVIDES<br />
The examples of Muslim attendance at Christian Marian shrines that I have examined<br />
show that this phenomenon displays an astonishing vitality. In several cases it is possible<br />
to notice a persistence of cross-faith practices at the same Marian sanctuary lasting<br />
for many centuries. Some of these sites have experienced an uninterrupted continuity<br />
until today. For instance, the frequentation of Bethlehem church by Muslim devotees<br />
has continued without a substantial gap. This seems all the more remarkable<br />
since these practices are entirely unorganized. They evolve on the margins of the official<br />
religion and are extremely vulnerable to accusations of deviation or even apostasy.<br />
I mostly focused on the main shrines in this paper, but in fact it would be possible<br />
to consider hundreds of minor sites, which make denser the texture of Islamo-<br />
Christian relationship at Marian sanctuaries. Often these less important shared sites<br />
were situated in peripheral locations and immersed in natural settings — in the vicinity<br />
of trees and wells, or mountaintops — and understandably left less traces of their<br />
existence. Some of these sites have experienced an uninterrupted continuity until today;<br />
others have decayed but have given way to new sanctuaries that, even in periods<br />
of stark contrast, have been able to attract a mass of worshipers of different religious<br />
affiliations.<br />
The tight web of relations between Christians and Muslims that developed around<br />
the figure of Mary illustrates the importance of the interstitial dimensions and the interconnections<br />
among different peoples within Mediterranean history. The close proximity<br />
in which they lived has been able to generate cultural connivances, overlaps and<br />
mergers across cultural borders. The action of the political and religious powers intended<br />
to corroborate the intransigent theological core typical of monotheisms to establish<br />
the purity of the cult and to consolidate the communal divides could not prevent these<br />
overflows, with a large number of manifestations of contiguity, crossing and porosity.<br />
During its history, the Mediterranean has experienced a stratification of relational horizons,<br />
a cohabitation of lifestyles, cultures, languages and experiences in their clashes,<br />
but also in their reciprocal influences, in their hybridizations and in their readjustments.<br />
The conflict and the construction of difference, which in turn have been undoubtedly<br />
36
D. Albera: The Virgin Mary as a Bridge Between Christianity and Islam...<br />
real and often dominant, did not represent the exclusive tonality of the relations between<br />
the monotheistic religions in this space. This involves the necessity to differently<br />
conceive the interactions between those entities that are defined as civilizations.<br />
Even in what is often seen as their most intransigent constituent — the behavior related<br />
to religion — civilizations appear contradictory and inhabited by diversity. In everyday<br />
life, religious identities may be composite and religious practices sometimes indeterminate.<br />
To what extent may the perspectives offered by this historical foray provide relevant<br />
clues that can help us to interpret the present? The impact of a number of recent<br />
transformations, like economic changes and the process of urbanization, has modified<br />
the human landscape of several areas within the Mediterranean region. In the twentieth<br />
century, the clash of bellicose nationalisms has definitively altered the ethnic and<br />
religious profile of the southern and eastern shores, through a process of homogenization<br />
that put an end to centuries of coexistence and made interreligious sharing more<br />
difficult. The construction of a religious-based nationalism led to a new rigidity on the<br />
Muslim side, accompanied by the development of fundamentalist tendencies influenced<br />
by Wahhabism.<br />
Nevertheless, interfaith attendance at the same sanctuaries has not disappeared.<br />
The Virgin Mary has continued to offer a symbolic bridge that authorizes spaces and<br />
moments of communication and sharing between religions. Besides shrines like those<br />
of Bethlehem or Saydnaya, whose interfaith attendance is immersed in a centuries-long<br />
tradition, more recent Marian sanctuaries have acquired an important reputation and attracted<br />
in their turn huge crowds of Muslim faithful. Some of these sanctuaries were<br />
born in the context of the French colonial experience in North Africa, especially in Algeria.<br />
The sanctuary of Our Lady of Santa Cruz in Oran and rural chapels (e.g. in Misserghin)<br />
acquired a great reputation and also attracted several Muslim faithful. The paramount<br />
Marian sanctuary is nevertheless that of Our Lady of Africa in Algiers, built in<br />
the second half of the nineteenth century. Here Muslim attendance has been attested<br />
since the 1880s and has continued throughout all of the twentieth century. These interfaith<br />
practices linked to Mary resisted the war of independence, the rise of Islamism<br />
and the civil war of the 1990s. Even in the most dangerous moments of the 1990s, several<br />
Muslims continued their devotions to Our Lady of Africa. Even now, dozens of<br />
thousands of people visit it every year, and in their great majority, they are Muslims.<br />
Gifts of different nature (money, flowers, small cakes, carpets) are brought to the sanctuary<br />
for wishes to be fulfilled, and it is possible to see, inside the church, ex-votos and<br />
prayer slips left by Muslims (Albera 2014).<br />
On another shore of the sea, near Ephesus, the Catholic sanctuary of the House<br />
of the Virgin has become a significant inter-religious place of pilgrimage. Starting in<br />
1950, the sanctuary experienced a growing success, following the proclamation of the<br />
dogma of the Assumption by the Pope in that year. The Muslim presence at the shrine<br />
became rapidly preponderant. According to the information given by the journal of the<br />
37
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
sanctuary, in 1960 the pilgrimage for the Feast of the Assumption saw the affluence of<br />
2,000 Muslims and 600 Catholics. This trend was confirmed in the following decades,<br />
and this place of pilgrimage has continued to attract increasing crowds of Muslim faithful<br />
(Pénicaud 2016).<br />
In contemporary Egypt, Muslim faithful attend several important Marian pilgrimages<br />
in the country, like in Dayr Dronkah, Gabal al-Tayr or Musturud (Samir 1987; Meinardus<br />
1996; Mayeur-Jaouen 2012) In the last fifty years, the cult of Mary has been reinvigorated<br />
by a series of apparitions of the Virgin, which would generally occur on<br />
the roof of Coptic churches. This series started in Zaytûn, a district at the periphery of<br />
Cairo, where the Virgin manifested herself repeatedly between 1968 and 1970 (Voile<br />
2004; Keriakos 2012). Hundreds of thousands of people claimed to have seen her. In<br />
1968, the first to distinguish the luminous image of the Virgin on the roof of the Zaytûn<br />
church were some Muslims who were working in the vicinity. Immense crowds of<br />
Christians and Muslims gathered in subsequent months around the church, hoping to<br />
see the Virgin. Several Muslims claimed to have benefited from the Virgin's miracle. Between<br />
1968 and 1970, the Coptic weekly newspaper Watani published some seven<br />
hundred accounts of miraculous healing linked to the Virgin: about 8% of these concerned<br />
Muslim faithful (Keriakos 2012: 182).<br />
The long civil war (1975—1990), which opposed the various Lebanese factions,<br />
often along religious divides, did not put an end to devotional porosity. In spite of the<br />
ferocity of the battles and the massacres, there are numerous shrines attended by different<br />
religious communities even today, like the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa,<br />
the monastery of Saïdet-en-Nourié in the region of Tripoli and the sanctuary of<br />
Saïdet-el-Mantara near Sidon (Farra-Haddad 2010). A massive display of mixed devotion<br />
has occurred since 2004 in Bechouate, a village in the Bekaa Valley, after a miraculous<br />
manifestation of the Virgin Mary (Aubin-Boltanski 2008). A Jordanian Muslim<br />
child was visiting a church with his parents and saw a statue of the Virgin become animated.<br />
The church was immediately submerged under a wave of devotion, and hundreds<br />
of thousands of pilgrims (Catholic and Orthodox Christians as well as the Shiites,<br />
Sunnis and Druze) visited it by the end of 2004. Moreover, since 2010, Annunciation<br />
Day (March 25 th ) has become an interreligious national holyday in Lebanon, to celebrate<br />
the reunion of the different religious groups under the aegis of Mary.<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
As a whole, this survey suggests that we should avoid using terms like Christianity and<br />
Islam as self-evident analytical categories that describe wholly autonomous arenas of<br />
religious activities. In this respect, the notion of civilization, as proposed by Braudel<br />
(and many others after him), offers a too univocal map that discriminates bounded entities<br />
and proposes an oversimplified description of Mediterranean history. This does<br />
not mean that divisions did not exist; they were obviously central and deeply significant.<br />
Nevertheless, when we chart the historical world with an approach that is focused<br />
38
D. Albera: The Virgin Mary as a Bridge Between Christianity and Islam...<br />
on local practices and individual behavior, we arrive at a description that leaves more<br />
room for incongruity, intersection and exchange. In other words, such a perspective<br />
shows that the territory is much more complex than the description offered by the univocal<br />
map based on the existence of distinct civilizations. Muslim devotion to the Virgin<br />
Mary and their visits to Christian shrines suggest that we should be aware of other maps<br />
that cross and partially overlap a cartography axed on divisions and contrasts. In the<br />
past, the often bellicose relations between peoples of different faiths in the Mediterranean<br />
allowed spaces for truce, collusion and interreligious exchange. Even in the highly<br />
problematic contemporary situation of several Mediterranean countries, in many cases,<br />
the figure of Mary still offers a crucial bridge between religions, despite political and<br />
ideological tensions.<br />
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42
Fabio ARMAND, Christian ABRY<br />
PAST AND PRESENT ALPINE-DINARIC<br />
FOLKLORE AND RELIGIOUS<br />
CONCERNS WITH MALEVOLENT<br />
MORA-LIKE ONTOLOGIES<br />
1. A DEPARTURE POINT FOR A TRANSALPINE QUEST<br />
THROUGHOUT MORA-LIKE FOLK BELIEFS:<br />
THE ALPINE GALLO-ROMANCE LINGUISTIC DOMAIN<br />
In 1976, Christian Abry and Charles Joisten, the late significant folklorist from Savoy and<br />
Dauphiné, began publishing a series of papers about folk-literature where they corrected<br />
erroneous identifications made by Arnold Van Gennep, the Master of Folklore in<br />
the French domain, about supernatural ontologies of the Savoy Alpine regions. In particular,<br />
they addressed a specific category of nightmare sprites known under the dialectal<br />
name of chaufaton. We must point out that throughout the Francoprovençal linguistic<br />
domain the most common name for these domestic goblins is derived from the<br />
Latin word SILVANUS: servan and its phonetic variants. The chaufaton shares with them<br />
their core function: they fundamentally represent joker sprites that have a special relationship<br />
with domestic animals and agro-pastoral productions, and they developed a<br />
very strong link with the household they lived in.<br />
However, as noted by Abry and Joisten, although this supernatural ontology appears,<br />
at first glance, to be only an avatar of the servan, it is distinguished by a behavior<br />
that is not entirely strange, but at least not the most ubiquitous. The chaufaton is<br />
prone to disturb the sleep of people resting on the haystack, explicitly accounting for<br />
a fundamental nightmarish function. In a narrative collected in 1965, Charles Joisten<br />
was told that “in the past, when people were lying on hay, the çhofaton came to oppress<br />
them and paralyze them under a very heavy weight, as if they had a stone put<br />
on them, one after the other...” (our translation, Abry & Joisten, 1976: p. 126, Montriond,<br />
Haute-Savoie).<br />
Abry and Joisten undertook a thorough ethnolinguistic etymological examination<br />
about this narrative in order to frame this domestic spirit into the category of nightmares.<br />
They first established that the chaufaton goblin from the Morzine Valley bore the<br />
same Latin root CALCARE “to tread, to trample on” as the first part of the French word<br />
for nightmare cauchemar. They then brought to light the main figure of the nightmare,<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
widespread in the Occitan and Francoprovençal linguistic domains: the term chauchevieille,<br />
with its phonetic variants (sousse-vyélye, susse-vzhélye, carco-vièio, tchaotchevyèlya,<br />
tsofe-vilye, etc.), identifies the Old Hag who oppresses sleepers through suffocation,<br />
namely the personification of the nightmare. On the other side of the Mont<br />
Blanc is the Aosta Valley, an inter montes observatory of similar alpine nightmares: a<br />
recent fieldwork conducted in the Cogne Valley highlighted the type tseutson/tsoitson,<br />
a proper derivative reflex of the same CALCARE Latin root identified on the French side<br />
of Mont Blanc (Armand, in press).<br />
The discoveries made in the Alpine Gallo-Romance narrative folklore allowed<br />
Christian Abry to raise a fundamental issue: “Are all supernatural ontologies of nightmare<br />
descent?” This is the question we will try to answer through a transalpine journey,<br />
which will bring us from the French-speaking Alps to the Mediterranean Sea<br />
throughout the Alpine-Dinaric folklore. In order to explore this transalpine narrative<br />
heritage, we will build up a neurocognitive semantic approach that will give us the possibility<br />
to stroll on the trails of such incubus-like ontologies (see Armand, Cathiard &<br />
Abry, 2017b, our most recent publication on this type since Antiquity and worldwide).<br />
2. NIGHTMARES AND GOBLINS THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHERN<br />
ALPS. THE CASE OF THE SBILFONS IN FRIULAN FOLKLORE<br />
We have already observed in the previous section that a nightmarish sprite typology is<br />
widespread on the Cisalpine versant of the Alps, from the Haute-Savoie to the Hautes-<br />
Alpes via the French departments of Savoy and Isère. Crossing the Mont Blanc range,<br />
the folk belief about the chaufaton and its counterparts continues to diffuse along the<br />
Central and Oriental Alps. Therefore, Friulan folklore about supernatural ontologies becomes<br />
the fundamental pivot to access to the Dinaric Alps and to become aware of our<br />
Alpine-Dinaric-Islandic connection in order to gain access to the Mediterranean and<br />
Slavic folk beliefs.<br />
Our transalpine travel continues through the Carnic and Julian Alps, inhabited by<br />
Friulan counterparts of the Alpine chaufaton and chauchevieille. In order to reveal the<br />
nightmarish function occasionally carried out by these supernatural beings, we decided<br />
to focus on the linguistic and ethnographic atlases of these oriental Alpine regions.<br />
The dialectal map 309 of the Atlante Storico-Linguistico ed Etnografico del Friulano<br />
(ASLEF 1 ), integrated with linguistic data elicited from the Sprach-und Sachatlas Italiens<br />
und der Südschweiz (AIS, map 812) and from the Atlante Linguistico Italiano (ALI, map<br />
637), attests three main forms for the denomination of the nightmare: cjalcjut 2 (derived<br />
1 We would like to thank Matteo Rivoira for providing us with this linguistic information from<br />
ASLEF.<br />
2 This term is widespread in the Friulan territory, especially in Carnia (Paularo, Lauco, Raveo,<br />
Ovaro), in Middle Friuli (Racchiuso. Magnano in Riviera, Coseano), in the Tagliamento Occidental<br />
part (Arba) and in Lower Friuli (Cervignano).<br />
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F. Armand, C. Abry: Past and present Alpine-Dinaric folklore and religious concerns with...<br />
from the Latin root CALCARE), pestat 3 (from the Latin root PISTARE, “to crush”) and vencul<br />
4 (from the Latin root VINCULUM, “to bond, to tie”), alongside the Slavic type mora<br />
and truta, both widespread in Slovenian Carinthia, in the northeastern part of the region.<br />
We noted that these terms refer to a specific category of supernatural beings<br />
whose names are etymologically related to the same semantic field of oppression and<br />
paralysis, typical of a sleep paralysis experience, which we have already underlined for<br />
the Cisalpine area. Moreover, these entities can also assume the role of domestic sprites<br />
that haunt the household, just as their counterparts that we found in the Alpine Gallo-Romance<br />
linguistic domain.<br />
However, a deeper analysis of the Friulan narrative folklore allowed us to identify<br />
the “missing link” to concretize our Alpine-Dinaric-Islandic connection in the supernatural<br />
figure of sbilfons, a type of goblin that accompanies the Malandanti in their<br />
Night Battles for crop fertility. Carlo Ginzburg refers to such goblins from the outset of<br />
his masterpiece, The Night Battles: Witchcraft and Agrarian Cults in the Sixteenth and<br />
Seventeenth Centuries, to the very first piece of evidence given by a village priest, don<br />
Bartolomeo Sgabarizza, about Paolo Gasparutto: “[He claimed] he roamed about at<br />
night with witches and goblins” [“dice andar vagabondando la notte con strigoni et sbilfoni”<br />
(p. 4)]. Later in the book, another interesting reference seems to link these belligerent<br />
gatherings of Benandanti with the presence of the same fairy-like supernatural<br />
beings: in 1648, a certain Pasqualina described these nocturnal assemblies “where on<br />
one side are the Benandanti, on another the goblins, and on still another the witches<br />
[“dove da una parte stanno i Benandanti, dall’altra parte i sbilfoni, e dall’altra le streghe”<br />
(p. 201)]. By referring to this evidence, such sprites appear to belong to the “malevolent”<br />
5 side of these night battles.<br />
As observed by Gian Paolo Gri (2016), under the pressure of the strong Inquisition<br />
stances, the belief concerning these Benandanti/Malandanti night struggles went<br />
toward a reductive interpretation of the leading role of their supernatural pugnacious<br />
participants. The term benandante was originally defined in Pirona’s Vocabolario friulano<br />
(1871) as “spirito notturno che prende varie forme,” giving folletto as synonyms<br />
for it; the most recent version of the same dictionary (1992) indicates “Orco, folletto.<br />
Essere immaginario notturno, o meglio crepuscolare, che prende varie forme e grandezze,<br />
non maligno, e che si diverte a far burle ai pusillanimi e spec. alle donne” [Goblin,<br />
elf. Imaginary nocturnal being, or rather crepuscular, which takes on various forms<br />
and sizes; not evil but it amuses itself by playing tricks on cowards, particularly on<br />
women]. A peculiar restriction and redefinition of the semantic value reached the term<br />
3 This term is attested in the Friulan Slavia.<br />
4 This term is attested in Udine and its surroundings.<br />
5 Nevertheless, as we have already shown in Armand, Cathiard & Abry (2017), the malevolent<br />
side of Benandanti group needs to be understood from the point of view of their communitarian<br />
adversaries who call them Malandanti even though they attacked to defend and protect<br />
their own crops.<br />
45
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
sbilf/sbilfon as well: from a concrete and active participant to nocturnal battles as related<br />
by inquisitorial and folkloristic documents, they became, later in the Pirona dictionary,<br />
respectively “Persona intollerante e impetuosa” [intolerant and impatient person]<br />
or simply, a “folletto” [goblin, elf]. Moreover, just like generic goblins, the figure<br />
of sbilfons has been reinvented in the last years by the touristic “folklorism” of the Carnia<br />
region: for example, every year, the town of Ravascletto marks the summer solstice<br />
with a festival where children and adults dress in sbilf costumes with stories, dances<br />
and music.<br />
3. FROM NIGHT BATTLES FOR FERTILITY TO THE HARASSING<br />
SOULS OF UNBAPTIZED CHILDREN<br />
The complex Friulan traditions concerning the Night Battles for fertility we already<br />
highlighted for Sbilfons share their roots in the border area alongside the continuation<br />
of the Southern Alps in the south-east, stretching from Italy through Slovenia and the<br />
nearest regions overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Indeed, the narrative folklore recalling the<br />
evil dichotomy benandanti:malandanti of Friuli is clearly related with the opposition<br />
kresniki:vedomci described in Slovene and Croatian beliefs (Armand, Cathiard & Abry,<br />
2017a).<br />
The exploration of these Slavic traditional folk-beliefs throughout the Dinaric Alps<br />
suggest an interesting link between the incubus role played by such supernatural opponents<br />
and the Night Battles fought on both shores of these Alpine borders. First, referring<br />
to Valentine Vodnik’s collection of narratives, Monica Kropej (2012) noted that<br />
oral tradition linked the figure of vedomci, well-known as the counterpart of the kresniki<br />
in the ecstatic nocturnal struggles for fertility, with nightmares: “they crawled from<br />
house to house at night, making themselves invisible and throwing children out of their<br />
beds, or else smother a sleeping baby in its crib. (…) As the incubus, the vedomci oppressed<br />
people at night. In the morning, the family members of these people recognized<br />
the traces of the incubus in the bites and swellings on the victim’s body” (p. 200).<br />
This precise relationship is well supported by a rich narrative complex inhabited<br />
by a wide variety of Slavic incubus-like ontologies, from the Slovenian “noÊna” mora<br />
to the Serbian drekavac. These supernatural ontologies come in the night to oppress<br />
sleepers, just like their fellows in the Western Alps. However, the exploration of traditional<br />
folk-beliefs suggests another tantalizing link between the incubus role played by<br />
such entities and the beliefs related to the soul of unbaptized children. Thus, we found<br />
out that in the western regions of Slovenia, people named vedomci were the souls of<br />
stillborn children or of those who had not been baptized before their death (Kropej,<br />
2012, p. 183). These latest references allow us to set out an important link between the<br />
fundamental concerns for the salvation of the soul of stillborn children who had not<br />
been baptized and their malevolent harassing returns in the form of a mora-like ontology.<br />
46
F. Armand, C. Abry: Past and present Alpine-Dinaric folklore and religious concerns with...<br />
4. THE NEKR©TENAC, A VAMPIRE-LIKE UNBAPTIZED SOUL<br />
We tracked this intertwined belief along the Dinaric Alps in order to highlight the continuation<br />
of these transalpine narrative motifs in the Slavic regions overlooking the<br />
Adriatic Sea. In Croatia and Slovenia, souls of stillborn children who had not been baptized<br />
before their death may have appeared in the form of dwarves or birds who would<br />
return to their home to weep and torment people. We mainly focused our attention on<br />
the Serbian figure of the nekrπtenac, literally the “unbaptized”. Mencej (1997: p. 144)<br />
relates precisely that this supernatural ontology, also known as nav in the southern<br />
Slavic regions, is a sort of sprite arisen from children who died unbaptized (deca koja<br />
su pomrla nekrπtena). An interesting detail about this belief is added by DeliÊ (2001: p.<br />
68) who underlines that the soul of a child cannot reach the heaven when he hears the<br />
weeping pain of his mother blinded by the painful grief for his premature death (tako<br />
u baladi o “nekrπtencu” mrtvo dijete zamalo ne uspije uÊi u raj zbog plaËa majke, koja<br />
ne poznajuÊi onostrano pravilo, svojim osjeÊajnim izljevom plaËa ometa spokoj duπe).<br />
Like its many other Slavic counterparts (drekavac, svirac, plakavac, etc.), the<br />
nekrπtenac can take on the form of a vampire-like supernatural being that shares the<br />
fundamental function of “blood-suckers” (E251. Vampire. Corpse which comes from a<br />
grave at night and sucks blood). In an attempt to contain this belief, Irena Benyovsky<br />
(1996) noted that, over the centuries, in Central and Southeastern Europe, the construction<br />
of the vampire figure included several elements from different folk-beliefs: “duhova<br />
pokojnika (revenants), noÊnih planinskih duhova germanskog svijeta (Alps), antiËkih<br />
striga, slavenskih mora i vukodlaka” (p. 119). We are especially interested in the relation<br />
with the Slavic mora, a “zao duh, (sliËan po karakteristikama incubusu i succubusu),<br />
veæe se uz grozne snove, tj noÊne more u kojima ljude napada vampir” (p. 119).<br />
5. REACHING THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA<br />
Remaining on the Adriatic seaside, another peculiar case of such nightmarish goblins<br />
can be found in the southern Italian folklore of Salento. An interesting paper edited by<br />
Franco Fanciullo (1978) about the denomination of nightmare in Salento (cf. AIS, 812;<br />
ALI, 637) suggested a linguistic and narrative continuum around the Adriatic Sea. The<br />
linguistic type scarca(g)nizzu/(s)carcagnulu, recalling the etymological root CALCARE, indicates<br />
the personification of the nocturnal incubus 6 . Furthermore, in the area surrounding<br />
Lecce, the expression “m’a ccarcatu u monicèḍḍu,” literally meaning a goblin<br />
6 Fanciullo (1978: p. 31) individualized a precise typology of terms related to the etymological<br />
root CALCARE: carcaluru (Copertino), carcaúlu (Guagnano), carcajúlu (Veglie), referring to a goblin-like<br />
spirit, and carcaturu (Veglie), for a nocturnal goblin. In particular, he noted that, with<br />
the exception of the type stranizzo/stragnulu, based on the Latin root STRIGA, widespread in the<br />
Griko dialects and their closest Roman variants, a nightmarish ontology, whose name is related<br />
to the Latin root CALCARE, is especially developed in the whole linguistic domain of Salento.<br />
47
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
oppressed me, underlines a specific designation for the nightmare widespread in Central<br />
and Southern Italy: the Moniceḍḍu, a sprite with a big red hat, lu cappiḍḍuzzu,<br />
which has fun by tormenting sleeping women (pp. 35-36). Another counterpart of these<br />
southern spiteful sprites is the Laurieḍḍu, whose name probably derived from the Lares,<br />
the genius loci of the Ancient Roman religion who protects the household 7 . The local<br />
Christian traditions underline that the Moniceḍḍu and the Laurieḍḍu represent the<br />
soul of an unbaptized child who died prematurely.<br />
Finally, we can close our comparative quest into the Mediterranean Sea, focusing<br />
on Greek folklore. The remarkable monograph about the Orthodox folk-beliefs of<br />
Greece, written by Charles Steward (1991), highlights a dichotomy which reminds us<br />
of the struggles for fertility made by benandanti-kresniki vs. malandanti-vedomci in the<br />
Friulan-Slavic folklore. The Orthodox Greek cosmological conception of the world<br />
builds an opposition between two groups of individuals: the saints, as officially recognized<br />
intermediaries between God and humanity, and the exotica, as similarly intermediate<br />
but officially unrecognized and then associated to figures between evil and humanity.<br />
In particular, if someone was not properly baptized due to the priest omitting<br />
certain words or forgetting to perform a part of the ceremony, their soul could enter<br />
into relation with the exotica, a group of malevolent supernatural ontologies that oppose<br />
the saints — positive individuals with supernatural powers in a constant fight for<br />
the wellbeing of humanity. The exotika are etymologically outsiders, “stand halfway<br />
between the abstract theological notion of evil represented by the Devil and the world<br />
of men” (p. 8), in a liminal place located beyond the protection of God and the Church.<br />
We can trace a precise dividing line built on the celebration of the Baptism: “those children<br />
who die after being baptized become little angels while those who die unbaptized<br />
become oxapedò” (p. 196), returning to bring all sorts of misfortune. They are strictly<br />
related with the community of exotika, and they could even be transformed into vampire-like<br />
incubi, like the katakhanàdes of Crete.<br />
6. CATHOLIC AND ORTHODOX ANXIETIES FOR<br />
MALEVOLENT HARASSING RETURNS<br />
These folk-beliefs suggest the concern of Christian religious communities, both Catholic<br />
and Orthodox, for death occurring before baptism, a fundamental initiatory act<br />
which sanctions the entry into the Christian community. As we observed along our<br />
7 On this subject, we must recall the Slavic figure of the Domovoï, mainly located on Russian<br />
territory, a house-spirit, whose name is derived by the Russian term dom, house, related to its<br />
specific protective and domestic function, which is looked upon as a trace of the ancestor worship.<br />
However, it is possible to track down the nightmarish role of this hirsute goblin: “his hairy<br />
hands are felt by night gliding over the faces of sleepers. When his hand feels soft and warm<br />
it is a sign of good luck: when it is cold and bristly, misfortune is to be looked for” (Ralston,<br />
1872: p. 120). Moreover, “It is considered dangerous, also, to pass the night in a corn-kiln, for<br />
the Domovoy may strangle the intruder in his sleep” (p. 123).<br />
48
F. Armand, C. Abry: Past and present Alpine-Dinaric folklore and religious concerns with...<br />
transalpine journey, in spite of the inevitable variations, Alpine and Mediterranean folklore<br />
attributes nightmarish traits to unbaptized children, supporting a straight relation<br />
with a huge diversity of supernatural beings. Both in Catholic and Orthodox beliefs,<br />
baptism represents a liminal space through which the child is incorporated into the<br />
Christian community, receiving protection against potential assaults conducted by malevolent<br />
supernatural beings. It is not surprising that a child who died before entering<br />
into this society protected by God lingers suspended in a liminal period and assumes<br />
the shape of a mischievous and harassing entity that opposes the communitarian group.<br />
As observed by Monica Kropej (2012: pp. 183-189), the wandering souls of stillborn<br />
children, or of the children who died before having been baptized, become dreadful,<br />
and they continue to haunt and harass their family.<br />
The speculative idea of the Catholic Infant Limbo brings to light this permanence<br />
of anxiety in religious context, even in our contemporary and modern worlds, where<br />
discussions about the status of Limbo have arisen in the most recent updates about in<br />
vitro fertilization and abortion practices. This occurred even after the Church's International<br />
Theological Commission finally issued its long-awaited report in 2007, approved<br />
by Pope Benedict XVI, on the status of embryos, fetuses and newborns who die without<br />
having been baptized. Even for the orthodox dogma, a death occurring before baptism<br />
is considered sacrilegious and is, consequently, a sign of impurity linked to evil<br />
forces, just as in the case of people who commit suicide: thus, the soul of such individuals<br />
cannot be treated like others. As clearly noted by Srebro (2012), the representations<br />
of the unbaptized dead child are conditioned by the idea of a “sacrilegious<br />
death”, also related to the orthodox dogmas of baptism. In spite of the pressure of the<br />
Church to encompass this anxiety in a theological frame, the popular imaginary probably<br />
understood the inequality touching stillborn children, and it developed the idea of<br />
a possible vengeance they could carry out on the living 8 .<br />
7. A NEUROCOGNITIVE ANTHROPOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK FOR<br />
TRANSALPINE INCUBUS-LIKE ONTOLOGIES<br />
The Alpine-Dinaric-Islandic journey we realized in this contribution has highlighted the<br />
fundamental nightmarish nature of a large category of domestic sprites and goblins that<br />
inhabited the transalpine and the Mediterranean human narrative imaginaries. Starting<br />
8 This fear for denying eternal salvation to those children who died unbaptized, condemning<br />
them to live in a limbo or to wander in this reality harassing and oppressing the living, encouraged,<br />
especially in Catholic traditions, the development of specific repairing rituals to be carried<br />
out in specific sacred places called sanctuaries à répit (Gélis, 2006). The répit represents a<br />
temporary return of the soul of a stillborn or unbaptized child in order to realize a religious ceremony<br />
to confer baptism on the child before its definitive death. It is a sort of suspended death<br />
during which the status of the dead child is changed by a reintegration into its Catholic community.<br />
In popular terms, the reintegration of the individual into the Christian community made<br />
the burial of the body possible on a consecrated ground and the consequent official mourning<br />
(cf. Tzortis & Séguy, 2008).<br />
49
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
from the first decisive etymological result in Gallo-Romance belief narratives for the<br />
terms chaufaton and chauchevieille, we extended our first Alpine-Dinaric-Islandic connection,<br />
which was proposed two years ago for the Mediterranean Island Conference<br />
(Armand, Cathiard & Abry, 2017a), to cope both with the malevolent Slavic mora and<br />
the incubus-like local house spirits. But how should we comprehend this cross-cultural<br />
narrative journey across such a long distance?<br />
Christian Abry obtained the first insights about the nightmarish descent of most supernatural<br />
ontologies more than thirty years ago, and they were finally developed in<br />
2011 in the BISO theory (Brain Incubator of Supernatural Ontologies), where the human<br />
Brain becomes a real Incubator of Supernatural Ontologies (Abry, 2011; Cathiard<br />
et al., 2011). Later, we worked out its heuristic framework, constrained in our neurocognitive<br />
anthropological model BRAINCUBUS (Armand & Cathiard, 2014), which suggests<br />
that all supernatural ontologies that haunt human narrative imaginaries are generated<br />
in the dissociated state of the brain called sleep paralysis, by one of its two fundamental<br />
components, localized in the Temporo-Parietal-Junction, the OBE (Out-of-<br />
Body Experience) and AP3S (Alien Presence Sensed from Self Shadowing), lateralized<br />
respectively in the right and left hemisphere.<br />
During a sleep paralysis experience, the striated (long) muscles are paralyzed, as<br />
in the REM sleep phase (with the exception of the little ocular and mentalis muscles).<br />
However, the sensory input remains as in the state of awakening, which allows a lively<br />
perception of the real environment. During this experience (1) the subject feels primarily<br />
a sensation of forced immobilization; the body no longer responds to motor intentions<br />
and to the sensation of weight; one can neither move nor speak and has no<br />
more voluntary control over breathing, and (2) in addition to perceiving their real environment,<br />
the subject can feel an undeniable presence. This veridical perception can<br />
be visual, but can also be accompanied by auditory, olfactory or tactile sensations. This<br />
presence is terrifying, sometimes erotic (4) (Abry & Joisten, 2002: pp. 140-141). Moreover,<br />
such an experience is often over-intuitively interpreted as a nocturnal visit from<br />
a supernatural being (our transalpine chauchevielle; cf. Thompson, 1966: F471.1. Nightmare<br />
(Alp). Presses persons in dream) that crushes the sleeper with all of its weight on<br />
the chest, preventing them from moving (paralysis) and breathing (no voluntary recover<br />
for breathtaking).<br />
By adopting this neuro-anthropological approach for the study of imaginary ontologies<br />
we encountered during this long transalpine and Mediterranean journey, we<br />
proposed to weave a link between humanities, starting from folkloristics and the ethnography<br />
of narrative, toward neurocognitive sciences. This transdisciplinary approach<br />
offers the possibility to re-ground the Durandian approach to the theory of the imaginary<br />
(Durand, 2016), by matching as closely as possible the neurocognitive systems of<br />
human beings who produce imaginaries from their experiences with their narratives,<br />
influenced by deep inspirations issued from their cultural milieu. The objective was to<br />
test our BRAINCUBUS model that specifies the neurocognitive bases on which these<br />
Alpine-Dinaric-Islandic avatars have been grounded.<br />
50
F. Armand, C. Abry: Past and present Alpine-Dinaric folklore and religious concerns with...<br />
Moreover, the framework of our BRAINCUBUS neurocognitive anthropological<br />
model applied to these cross-cultural narrative heritages, from the Alps to the Mediterranean<br />
Sea, will allow us to progress in the development of a neurocognitive semantics<br />
in order to better account for the naming-narrativization processes of sleep paralysis<br />
experiences. In our contribution, we addressed the construction constraints of terminology<br />
categories used transculturally to indicate the phenomenology of the nightmare,<br />
the mora and the like. We have thus recognized the fundamental role of the neurocognitive<br />
experience of sleep paralysis — with its rich neural sensorium — emerging<br />
in the very naming-narrativization processes of supernatural beings from the incubus<br />
type.<br />
References<br />
Abry, Christian (2011), Et si l’imaginal cortical fondait l’imaginaire transcendantal? In Yves, Durand,<br />
Jean-Pierre Sironneau, & Alberto Filipe Araújo (Eds.), Variations sur l'imaginaire.<br />
L’epistemologie ouverte de Gilbert Durand, orientations et innovations. Fernelmont: E.M.E.<br />
Editions.<br />
Abry, Christian et Joisten, Alice (2002), Trois notes sur les fondements du complexe de Primarette.<br />
Loups-garous, cauchemars, prédations et graisses, Monde alpin et rhodanien. Revue régionale<br />
d’ethnologie: Le fait du loup. De la peur à la passion: le renversement d’une image, vol. 30,<br />
n. 1-3, p. 135-161.<br />
Abry, Christian, & Joisten, Charles (1976), De lutins en cauchemars… A propos d’un nom<br />
chablaisien du lutin domestique: le “chaufaton”, Le Monde Alpin et Rhodanien, vol. 2, pp.<br />
125-132.<br />
AIS: Jaberg, Karl & Jud, Jakob (1928—1940), Sprach-und Sachatlas Italiens und der Südschweiz,<br />
Zofingen: Ringier.<br />
ALI: Bartoli, Matteo, & Pellis, Ugo (eds) (1995), Atlante Linguistico Italiano, Roma: Istituto<br />
Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato.<br />
ASLEF: Pellegrini, Giovan Battista (1972), Atlante Storico-Linguistico-Etnografico Friulano, Istituto di<br />
glottologia e fonetica dell'Università di Padova, Istituto di filologia romanza della Facoltà di<br />
lingue e litterature straniere di Trieste.<br />
Armand, Fabio (in press), Une matrice sémantique neurocognitive pour les dénominations du<br />
cauchemar dans quelques parlers francoprovençaux de la Vallée d’Aoste, Bulletin du Centre<br />
d’Etudes Francoprovençales “René Willien” de Saint-Nicolas.<br />
Armand, Fabio, Cathiard, Marie-Agnès, & Abry, Christian (2017a), Beyond nationalistic isolationisms:<br />
our species’ brain dreams and nightmares. Re-embodying daemonic ontologies in the<br />
Mediterranean South of the Alps for this XXIth century, in JurËeviÊ, Katica, Kaliterna LipovËan,<br />
Ljiljana, & Ramljak, Ozana (Eds.), Imagining the Mediterranean: Challenges and Perspectives,<br />
Mediterranean Islands Conference, Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar and VERN’ Group, pp.<br />
113-125.<br />
Armand, Fabio, Cathiard, Marie-Agnès, & Abry, Christian (2017b), Permanences des éléments<br />
trichologiques issus du sensorium de la paralysie du sommeil: cauchemars pilosi en<br />
expériences de corps fantômes, Religiologiques (Université du Québec à Montréal), Pérennité<br />
du mythe, n. 35, pp. 159-179.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Benyovsky, Irena (1996), Vampiri u dubrovaËkim selima 18. stoljeÊa, in Otium, vol. 4, 1-2, pp.<br />
118-130.<br />
Cathiard, Marie-Agnès, Abry, Nicolas, & Abry, Christian, (2011), Our Brain as an Incubus Incubator<br />
for the Core Folktypes of Supernatural Ontologies: From the Mammalian Sleep Paralysis<br />
Sensorium to Human Imaginaire in its Biodiversity, TricTrac. Journal of World Mythology and<br />
Folklore, 4, pp. 3-19.<br />
Cathiard, Marie-Agnès, & Armand, Fabio (2014). BRAINCUBUS. Vers un modèle anthropologique<br />
neurocognitif transculturel pour les “fantomes” de l’imaginaire. In Patrick Pajon, &<br />
Marie-Agnès Cathiard (Eds.), Les imaginaires du cerveau, Bruxelles: EME, pp. 53-87.<br />
DeliÊ, Simona (2001), Izme u klevete i kletve. Tema obitelji u hrvatskoj usmenoj baladi, Zagreb:<br />
Hrvatska sveuËiliπna naklada.<br />
Durand, Gilbert (2016), Les structures anthropologiques de l’imaginaire, 12 ème éd., Paris: Dunod<br />
éditions.<br />
Fanciullo, Franco (1978), Su alcune denominazioni salentine, griche e romanze, per “mulinello,<br />
turbine di vento” e “incubo, folletto”, L’Italia dialettale, vol. 41, pp. 29-44.<br />
Gélis, Jacques (2006), Les enfants des limbes. Mort-nés et parents dans l’Europe chrétienne, Paris:<br />
Audibert.<br />
Ginzburg, Carlo (1996 [1966]), I Benandanti. Stregoneria e culti agrari tra Cinquecento e Seicento,<br />
Piacenza: Einaudi editore.<br />
Gri, Gian Paolo (2016), La cultura popolare in Friuli dopo I benandanti. Cinquant’anni di carte<br />
inquisitori ali, Atti dell’Accademia “San Marco” di Pordenone, vol. 18, pp. 361-388.<br />
Klaniczay, Gábor (1987), The Decline of Witches and the Rise of Vampires under the Eighteenth-<br />
Century Habsburg Monarchy, in Ethnologia Europaea, vol. 17, pp. 165-180.<br />
Kropej, Monika (2012), Supernatural Beings from Slovenian Myth and Folktales, Ljubljana: Studia<br />
Mythologica Slavica.<br />
Mencej, Mirjam (1997), Voda v predstavah starih Slovanov o posmrtnem æivljenju in πegah ob smrti,<br />
Ljubljana: Slovensko etnoloπko druπtvo.<br />
Pirona, G. A., Carletti, E., & Corgnali, G.B. (1992), Il nuovo Pirona. Vocabolario friulano, G. Frau,<br />
(ed.), Udine.<br />
Ralston, William Ralston Shedden (1872), The songs of the Russian people: as illustrative of<br />
Slavonic mythology and Russian social life, London: Ellis & Green.<br />
Srebro, Andja SrdiÊ (2012), La religion populaire serbe et le corps du défunt: les morts dangereux<br />
— les représentations et les pratiques, Revue du Centre Européen d'Etudes Slaves, vol. 1,<br />
Représentations identitaires et religieuses slaves (http://etudesslaves.edel.univ-poitiers.fr/<br />
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52
Zlatko –UKI∆<br />
NAVIGATIONAL REGULATIONS IN<br />
THE ADRIATIC SEA LAID DOWN IN<br />
STATUTES OF DALMATIAN TOWNS<br />
AND COMMUNES<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
The reasons for introducing maritime law are very similar everywhere, regardless of the<br />
differences in culture, race or social organization.<br />
The history of contact between the first settlers of the Croatian coastline and the<br />
inhabitants of the Italic and Greek peninsulas dates back thousands of years and was<br />
marked by two major milestones:<br />
1. Trade — before the 6th century BC it was beneficial to both sides and was<br />
therefore strongly supported,<br />
2. Greek colonization — ensued as a result of this trade, first with the arrival of<br />
the Knidians on the island of KorËula and then with the arrival of Greek settlers<br />
on the Albanian and Italian sides of the Adriatic coast. These trends were<br />
particularly pronounced from the 4th century BC, when colonization of the islands<br />
of Issa and Pharos started. About one hundred years later the inhabitants<br />
of Issa establish their first subcolonies, first on the island of KorËula and later<br />
further along the Adriatic coast (e.g. Epetium and Tragurion, which were also<br />
connected with the city of Salona).<br />
This paper discusses navigational regulations laid down in the Statutes of Dalmatian<br />
cities and communes.<br />
WINTER NAVIGATION BAN<br />
The purpose of the winter navigation ban was to ensure the safety of the crew and the<br />
ship. Ancient and medieval ships were not as advanced as modern vessels, nor were<br />
they equipped with the instruments we know today. It is much harder to navigate in<br />
the winter than in the summer because winter is marked by unfavourable winds, shorter<br />
days and much lower sea and air temperatures. Ships were therefore banned from<br />
navigating during winter, and a breach of the ban was subject to heavy fines. Ships<br />
would winter in seaports or in inland ports in the case of ships sailing on rivers, canals<br />
and lakes.<br />
A port, in its broadest sense, is a naturally or artificially protected sea, river, canal<br />
or lake basin, where ships can find shelter from waves, air streams, tide and ice; find<br />
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protection from enemy attacks; load fuel, water and food; carry out repairs of the hull,<br />
engines and equipment or be cleaned; where they can safely and quickly load and unload<br />
cargo; where passengers can safely and quickly embark or disembark the ship,<br />
and where the crew can take some rest (KojiÊ, 1978, p. 367).<br />
A port is an area recognized as a place offering facilities for the loading and unloading<br />
of ships and for their departures. It is a place where cargo can be stored and<br />
which offers facilities for passengers (Grabovac, 1991, p. 89; Rudolf, 1989, p. 171).<br />
An inland port, in its narrowest sense, is a place on the river, canal or lake coast<br />
where ships can land and load or unload cargo or can allow passengers to embark or<br />
disembark (JankoviÊ et al., 1983, p. 444).<br />
The winter navigation ban was an ancient Roman custom, which was practiced in<br />
medieval times as well. The ban was usually imposed in November and was lifted at<br />
the beginning of the following March. However, winter navigation would be allowed<br />
in emergency situations, such as the saving of human lives.<br />
Provision 34 in Book IV of The Zadar Statute lays down the rules for situations in<br />
which the ship has to spend the winter in a port and continue the journey longer than<br />
envisaged and agreed. In such situations, merchants are required to pay shipowners a<br />
rental fee that is 25% higher than the one originally agreed. Shipowners are in turn required<br />
to increase the agreed wage of the crew by 25%. In addition to this, the Provision<br />
specifically addresses the issue of sailors who are hired for only a period of one<br />
year. If the said period expires during the winter, the sailors in question are not allowed<br />
to leave the ship. They are, however, granted a wage for the entire additional<br />
period aboard the ship (The Zadar Statute, 1997, p. 42).<br />
STRANDING<br />
Stranding occurs when the ship comes across an area where the ship's draught exceeds<br />
the sea depth and the ship loses its inherent buoyancy, resulting in the interruption of<br />
navigation for a certain period (TambaËa, 1981, p. 258; Grabovac, 1991, p. 98). Stranding<br />
is a shipping incident in which the ship touches the bottom of the sea with the<br />
whole of its keel or with only a part of it (PaviÊ, 2003, p. 301).<br />
There are two types of stranding:<br />
— accidental<br />
— voluntary.<br />
Accidental stranding is caused by a lack of caution, while voluntary stranding is<br />
performed by the ship’s master to avoid a threatening shipwreck or to preserve the ship<br />
from worse damage than it would otherwise sustain.<br />
The Statute of the Town of Dubrovnik in Book VII, under Provision 7 entitled Damage<br />
Occurring on the Ship's Mast and Spreaders, lays down that in addition to other<br />
potential damage, the damage caused to the ship through stranding should be covered<br />
from the joint ship's property in the amount of the estimated damage (The Dubrovnik<br />
Statute, 1990, p. 195).<br />
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The Hvar Statute in Book V, under Provision 2 entitled On Damage Sustained by<br />
the Ship's Equipment, which may be caused by, e.g. stranding, states that in the event<br />
of damage, the reimbursement should be borne by the community, i.e. it should be<br />
covered from the joint ship's property and from the ship — the specific amount would<br />
depend on the estimated value (The Hvar Statute, 1991, p. 161).<br />
The Split Statute in Book VI, Provision 46, establishes the rules for events in which<br />
the ship leaves the Split port in good condition but later sustains damage, e.g. through<br />
stranding, and the equipment or the cargo aboard the stranded ship are damaged. The<br />
Provision stipulates that such damage should be calculated and reimbursed in accordance<br />
with the rules that apply in the case of the general average (The Split Statute,<br />
1998, p. 779).<br />
Provision 56 explains stranding in more detail. It describes situations in which the<br />
ship touches the sea bottom due to a storm, loses its inherent buoyancy and suffers<br />
substantial damage. If the shipowner decides to repair the ship, i.e. prepare it for navigation,<br />
seafarers are not allowed to leave the ship. Otherwise, they lose their wages<br />
and have to pay additional fines in favour of the Split Commune (The Split Statute,<br />
1998, p. 785).<br />
The final statute that we will list here, The Zadar Statute, in Book IV, under Provisions<br />
53 and 54, refers to cases in which the ship, i.e. the ship's equipment, sustains<br />
damage. The former Provision lays down the rules in the event of a stranded ship that<br />
is rescued by another ship. Shipowners of both ships can agree to transfer the cargo<br />
from the stranded ship to the other ship. If the merchants have leased the ship, then<br />
the shipowners have to ask for their permission to transfer the cargo. The latter Provision<br />
sets out the rules that apply in the event of a ship sustaining damage, possibly<br />
through stranding. If the shipowner decides to repair the damaged ship, the ship's crew<br />
must stay with the ship for as long as it takes for it to be repaired and taken to the final<br />
destination. If the seafarers fail to meet this requirement, they must pay a fine twice<br />
the amount of the pay they were to receive (The Zadar Statute, 1997, p. 439).<br />
The final provision, Provision 75, lays down the rules that apply in the event of<br />
damage to the ship due to conditions on the sea, storms and bad weather or due to<br />
some other causes, e.g. stranding. In these cases, the damage sustained should be dealt<br />
with as in the case of the general average (The Zadar Statute, p. 453).<br />
SHIPWRECK<br />
A shipwreck is a shipping incident that causes a partial or total loss of the ship (BrajkoviÊ,<br />
1972, p. 599). The term shipwreck denotes a shipping incident in which the ship<br />
permanently loses its ability to navigate and no longer falls under the category of vessels<br />
(PaviÊ, 2003, p. 301). A shipwreck is a shipping incident causing a total or partial<br />
loss of the ship, entailing different legal consequences (Grabovac, 1991, p. 23).<br />
The Dubrovnik Statute, for instance, in Book VII, contains Provisions 35 and 47<br />
that state the rules regarding a shipwreck. Provision 35 pertains to cases in which ob-<br />
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jects floating on the sea are found. Such objects are divided in four parts. The first part<br />
belongs to the ship, i.e. the shipowner, the second is assigned to the cargo carried<br />
aboard the ship, while the third and the fourth are shared in equal parts between the<br />
shipcrew and merchants (The Dubrovnik Statute, 1990, p. 203).<br />
Provision 47 refers to cases where the ship, which is a part of an entega, sustains<br />
damage in a shipwreck. In such cases, the damage is covered from the profit of the entega,<br />
whereby the principal is not used (The Dubrovnik Statute, p. 206).<br />
The Hvar Statute refers to a shipwreck in Book V, Provision 8, where the rules are<br />
set out for the case of cargo found floating on the sea due to shipwreck. This issue is<br />
addressed in the same way as in Book VII, Provision 35 of The Dubrovnik Statute,<br />
which means that the found objects are divided between the shipowner, cargo, merchants<br />
and crew (The Hvar Statute, 1991, p. 164).<br />
The Split Statute deals with shipwreck in two Provisions of Book VI. Provision 44<br />
deals with cases of objects being found on the coast and on the sea where the owner<br />
is unknown. In these cases, one third belongs to the shipowner, while the remaining<br />
two thirds are divided equally between persons on the ship (The Split Statute, 1998, p.<br />
779).<br />
Provision 65 deals with shipwreck where objects or cargo aboard the ship sustain<br />
damage (The Split Statute, 1998, p. 791). It is stipulated that shipowners must cover all<br />
the damage sustained. They are free from liability only in the case of fire, storm, bad<br />
weather or other adverse sea conditions.<br />
Book IV of The Zadar Statute in Provisions 45 and 72 refers to cases of shipwreck,<br />
i.e. to objects found after the shipwreck.<br />
Provision 45 describes three possible situations. The first situation deals with objects<br />
found under the water, where half of their value belongs to whomever recovers<br />
them, whereas the other half belongs to the owner of the ship involved in their recovery.<br />
The second situation pertains to objects found floating on the water. In such cases,<br />
one third belongs to whomever recovers the objects, while the remaining two thirds<br />
belong to the shipowner involved in their recovery. The third situation pertains to cases<br />
in which the found objects are brought to the Zadar port. In this case, the Provision<br />
refers to contracts and stipulates that if the finder of the objects and their owners sign<br />
an agreement regarding their recovery, then such contracts must be observed in their<br />
entirety (The Zadar Statute, 1997, p. 443).<br />
Provision 72 refers to cases in which an object whose owner is unknown is found<br />
either on the sea or on the coast. In such cases, half of the object’s value belongs to<br />
the owner of the ship from which the object was found, while the other half belongs<br />
to all persons aboard the ship (The Zadar Statute, 1997, p. 451).<br />
The KorËula Statute in its first book of amendments to statutory provisions, in Provision<br />
10, stimulates the recovery of the cargo found on the sea after a shipwreck by<br />
granting the finder a quarter of the cargo recovered. This provision stipulates that in<br />
the case of a shipwreck in the KorËula area persons recovering the objects from the<br />
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shipwreck or the sea are to be rewarded with a quarter of the objects they have recovered<br />
and brought ashore or placed in a safe place, such as another vessel (The KorËula<br />
Statute, 1955, p. 86).<br />
In the second book of laws, i.e. statutory provisions of The KorËula Statute, under<br />
Provision 82 entitled On Shipwreck, it is stated that those who notice a shipwreck amid<br />
a storm must alert the commune or village administration, depending on the location<br />
of the ship, so that appropriate measures can be taken. In return, the person is granted<br />
a reward amounting to one perper. If the village is alerted, then the village heads<br />
are responsible for providing the reward.<br />
The second part of the provision refers to objects involved in the shipwreck where<br />
two different situations are described. In the first situation, the parun (ship’s master)<br />
neither wants nor commissions assistance. In this case, no one is allowed to take either<br />
cargo or equipment found on the ship, otherwise they will have to pay a penalty<br />
amounting to 50 perpers in favour of the commune, in addition to returning all the objects<br />
taken from the ship. In the second situation, there is an agreement with the ship’s<br />
master regarding the recovery of objects. The Provision stipulates that in such cases<br />
anyone is allowed to recover objects from the ship in accordance with the conditions<br />
agreed with the ship’s master (The KorËula Statute, 1955, p. 142).<br />
Provision 127 deals with situations in which an inhabitant of KorËula buys objects<br />
from a shipwreck that were found floating on the sea or lying on the sea bottom. In<br />
such cases, the Provision stipulates that the buyer is to lose everything he has bought,<br />
while whoever reported the illegal buyer is granted a reward amounting to half of the<br />
value of the objects bought, but only if they can provide clear evidence with two reliable<br />
witnesses that the objects are illegal (The KorËula Statute, 1955, p. 160).<br />
DANGER OF PIRATES<br />
Ever since people started to use the sea for the exchange of goods, there have always<br />
been individuals and groups who would intercept ships and steal goods found on<br />
them. Naturally, places in which different commercial paths cross see more plundering.<br />
It is necessary to make a distinction between privateering and piracy.<br />
Privateering is a term referring to armed attacks on the sea aimed at foreign ships<br />
or other enemy’s property for the purpose of retaliation or ehaviorz blockage of maritime<br />
traffic (BrajkoviÊ, 1975, p. 592). A privateer (corsair) is a term used for persons,<br />
and their private ships, who were ehaviorz by sovereigns to take part in armed attacks<br />
(Rudolf, 1989, p. 100).<br />
Piracy is ehaviorzed violence on the high seas or other waterways, most commonly<br />
committed for private ends (BrajkoviÊ, 1983, p. 44).<br />
Pirates used various types of attacks, ranging from direct attacks to different acts<br />
causing the stranding or sinking of merchant ships for the purpose of seizing their cargo.<br />
The Phoenicians are said to have been the first pirates (BrajkoviÊ, 1983, p. 46).<br />
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Piracy is a term referring to any illegal act of violence, detention or plunder committed<br />
for private ends by the crew or by passengers of a private ship on the high seas,<br />
or in a place outside the jurisdiction of any state, against another ship, persons or property<br />
found aboard that ship (Grabovac, 1991, p 130; Rudolf, 1989, p. 276).<br />
Piracy was invented in the ancient times in the Mediterranean area and was first<br />
practiced by the Phoenicians and then later by the Persians, Greeks and Romans. It was<br />
also practiced in the Middle Ages all the way through to the end of the 19 th century.<br />
Pirate ships were in fact smaller battleships, and they were used because they required<br />
less investments, at first by individuals, and later by governments. But they were also<br />
used since it was easier to manoeuvre them due to their size and to attack rival merchant<br />
ships.<br />
Due to piracy, retorsion was used as a means for collecting debts since it was the<br />
only safe way of collecting debts arising from contractual and other relations, which<br />
were not settled through mutual agreement. Many individuals acquired an immense<br />
fortune in this way because they knew no boundaries in collecting debts, greatly exceeding<br />
all reasonable rates. At first, this kind of debt collection was conducted at will<br />
and without any supervision, while later, when the feudal and patrician rule in towns<br />
grew stronger, it was brought under the control of the state.<br />
The medieval statutes covered in this paper also deal with the danger that pirates<br />
caused. The Dubrovnik Statute refers to this in two provisions.<br />
Provision 7 lays down the rules for dealing with the damage sustained by the ship,<br />
also the one caused by pirates. It stipulates that all damage must be covered in accordance<br />
with the share in property aboard the ship, and if necessary, the real value of the<br />
ship is to be reduced by a third. This Provision indicates that the damage from pirates<br />
is to be borne jointly by all participants of the enterprise (The Dubrovnik Statute, 1990,<br />
p. 195).<br />
Provision 33 refers to situations in which ships were detained by pirates. Those<br />
who paid ransom to the pirates without the consent of the shipowner were required<br />
to immediately hand over the ship to its owner and would always lose the ransom they<br />
had paid (The Dubrovnik Statute, 1990, p. 200).<br />
The Hvar Statute regulates maritime affairs in Book V, and in Provision 2 it refers<br />
to pirates. More specifically, it stipulates that damage to the ship’s equipment caused<br />
by pirates should be covered by the community, while in the case of a ship being<br />
seized or cargo being thrown in the sea, the open issues should be dealt with in accordance<br />
with the rules that apply in the case of the average (The Hvar Statute, 1991,<br />
p. 161).<br />
The Split Statute deals with pirates in three different Provisions of Book VI.<br />
Provision 17 states that the damage caused to the ship by pirates should be covered<br />
jointly and proportionately by the ship’s ehav and the shipowner (The Split Statute,<br />
1998, p. 763).<br />
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Provisions 18 and 68 also deal with pirates. The former provision regulates the situation<br />
in which the ship’s ehav is robbed by pirates. In this case, he is required to pay<br />
the lease only for the period prior to the robbery, and only if he is in no way to be<br />
blamed for it. If, however, the ehav is found to be involved in the robbery, he has to<br />
compensate for all the damage and pay the entire amount of the lease. The latter provision<br />
deals with situations in which the ship is robbed by pirates. In such cases, the<br />
damage should be covered by all participants in the enterprise from the total belongings<br />
of the ship (The Split Statute, 1998, p. 763-791).<br />
The Zadar Statute in Book IV, Provision 39, regulates cases in which the ship is<br />
robbed by pirates. The damage in such cases is covered jointly from the ship’s property.<br />
However, the same applies if the profit is accrued over time. This profit, i.e. pecuniary<br />
contribution, is also a part of joint ship’s property (The Zadar Statute, 1997, p.<br />
427).<br />
In its first book of amendments to statutory provisions, The KorËula Statute in Provision<br />
9 forbids piracy, sanctioning it with exile. The second part stipulates that the purchaser<br />
of objects from pirates shall lose the purchased items. The final part of the Provision<br />
defines the reward for whoever reports the purchaser.<br />
The aim of this Provision was to prevent piracy because the sanctions were permanent.<br />
Namely, the person found to be a pirate would be exiled from KorËula for life<br />
starting from the day it was found out that they were practicing piracy. The second part<br />
of the Provision sanctions the purchase of goods from pirates. Those who failed to<br />
comply with this provision would lose the goods in favour of the commune. The final<br />
part of the Provision provides an incentive for those who report the purchase of goods<br />
from pirates by granting them a quarter of the goods involved in the purchase (The<br />
KorËula Statute, Book I, Provision 9).<br />
The KorËula Statute in its second book of laws, i.e. statutory provisions of the<br />
town and the island of KorËula (newer editions), in Provision 16 titled On Practising<br />
Piracy, bans piracy, sanctioning it with exile, the death penalty and seizure of the entire<br />
property. The newer provisions impose a ban on practicing piracy and order that<br />
the inhabitants of KorËula practicing piracy will be exiled from the day they started<br />
practicing piracy, i.e. from the day it was found out that they were practicing piracy.<br />
The second part of the provision provides dissuasive sanctions stating that the goods<br />
acquired through practicing piracy will be seized in favour of the commune, while its<br />
final part states that pirates captured by the KorËula administration will be faced with<br />
the death penalty (The KorËula Statute, 1995, p. 116).<br />
The Trogir Statute in The First Book of Reformations, Provision 8, grants the power<br />
to an official person (a Duke) to receive reports, press charges and hear cases on<br />
thefts, robberies and acts of piracy as well as sanction them on the sea and land at any<br />
time and as he sees fit, which he was not allowed to do prior to the reformation. The<br />
Provision further lists the categories of persons allowed to be punished, such as thieves<br />
and bandits, plunderers, robbers, pirates or privateers, and their ringleaders, as well as<br />
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those who offer them assistance, guidance or service by word or deeds. The Duke is<br />
also allowed to sanction all those who receive goods that were stolen, seized or robbed<br />
and goods acquired through piracy if they are aware of their origin. The Duke receives<br />
reports on such offenders at all times and is allowed to conduct procedures in the order<br />
and manner he sees fit and can impose sanctions at his discretion.<br />
The second part of this Provision pertains to persons who report these offenses.<br />
It is stipulated that such reports are to be kept secret and that individuals reporting the<br />
crimes are to be rewarded as the Duke sees fit. The reward is financed from the communal<br />
funds, i.e. goods seized from thieves, robbers and pirates and all other persons<br />
assisting them in any way described above.<br />
The final part of the Provision stipulates that the statutory provisions that used to<br />
regulate matters relating to theft, robbery, seizure of goods and relating to persons providing<br />
shelter for thieves as well as receiving goods from them are to be repealed, revoked<br />
and made null and void in their entirety. This reformation was considered to be<br />
a statutory provision, was entered in the Book of Statutory Provisions and was never<br />
to be repealed or revoked (The Trogir Statute, 1988, p. 169-171, The First Book of Reformations,<br />
Provision 8).<br />
The Book of Laws, Statutes and Reformations of the City of ©ibenik in the Book<br />
of Reformations, Provision 113, deals with matters relating to theft and makes a distinction<br />
regarding three different categories of perpetrators: citizens of ©ibenik, inhabitants<br />
of the broader Trogir area and foreigners. They can be charged with or reported for<br />
theft and robbery and can be questioned in piracy and privateering investigations carried<br />
out on behalf of the ©ibenik Government and the Court.<br />
It is further stipulated that if the Government carries out the investigation in the<br />
three cases mentioned above and the person accused and charged (or in the case of<br />
an investigation, the perpetrator or the pirate examined) confesses that he is guilty of<br />
theft or piracy, or denies all allegations for which he is accused, reported or examined,<br />
then the Duke, the Government or the ©ibenik Court are allowed to examine these offenders<br />
for other offences committed in the past in the town of ©ibenik or in its broader<br />
area.<br />
The Provision further stipulates that thieves, bandits and pirates can be tortured<br />
during the course of the examination for the purpose of eliciting the truth, if the Government<br />
so decides. Such suspects, accused or not accused, examined in the course of<br />
the investigation, not reported, or not examined on the circumstances of all the crimes<br />
they committed in the past in the town of ©ibenik or in its broader area are to be punished<br />
for theft, robbery or piracy in accordance with the Provisions of The ©ibenik Statute.<br />
The final part of the Provision stipulates that unless strong and clear evidence is<br />
provided for accusations in each and every individual case, the procedure has to be<br />
terminated (The Book of Laws, Statutes and Reformations of the Town of ©ibenik, 1982,<br />
p. 257).<br />
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FIRE<br />
Fire on a ship is a chemical reaction occurring during the combustion of matter on the<br />
ship (Buljan, 1983, p. 400). The term fire refers to any uncontrolled occurrence of fire<br />
on a ship regardless of its cause (PaviÊ, 2006, p. 301).<br />
The most common fire hazards were naked flames, improper handling of different<br />
types of ship cargo and the self-combustion of the cargo. Most fires are caused by<br />
humans due to willful, accidental or reckless behavior of the crew, and less so by natural<br />
forces such as thunderbolts.<br />
In ancient times the sea water was often used to fight fire since its purpose was<br />
mainly to cool down the objects that had caught fire. In addition to that, any other<br />
means available on the ship or land were also used, such as sand or gravel.<br />
Protective and safety clothing was not available in ancient times, and in cases fire<br />
people wore their everyday clothes, possibly soaked in seawater and a bandage to protect<br />
their respiratory system. The threat of fire was always lurking, especially in areas<br />
notorious for thieves and pirates who would cause fire to distract the crew and rob the<br />
ship more easily.<br />
The damage caused by fires includes not only the objects destroyed and damaged,<br />
but also the indirect damage sustained in the course of extinguishing the fire, caused<br />
by the late arrival to the final destination, the ship losing its ability to navigate, etc.<br />
The Hvar Statute in Book V, Provision 2, entitled On the Damage Sustained by the<br />
Equipment, makes a distinction between the damage sustained by the equipment and<br />
goods, which could have been caused during the fire. In the former case, the damage<br />
is covered by the commune, while in the latter case the rules of the general average<br />
are applied (The Hvar Statute, 1991, p. 161).<br />
In Book VI The Split Statute contains several provisions pertaining to fire hazards.<br />
Provisions 46 and 51 deal with situations in which the ship catches fire due to bad<br />
weather and the objects or the cargo sustain damage, or the equipment on a ship on<br />
which seafarers possess no goods. In the first case, the damage is covered by applying<br />
the rules of the general average. If the ship's equipment sustains damage, the crew is<br />
absolved from responsibility, and the ship's master and merchant cover the damage<br />
proportionally (The Split Statute, 1998, p. 779-783).<br />
Provision 63 refers to cases in which the goods are rendered unusable due to damage<br />
sustained by anything other than a fire. In such cases, the ship's master assumes<br />
total responsibility, whereas if the goods are rendered unusable due to fire, he is absolved<br />
from the responsibility (The Split Statute, 1998, p. 789).<br />
The final provision dealing with fire is Provision 65. As in the above Provision, the<br />
ship's master is held responsible if the goods are rendered unusable. He is absolved<br />
from the responsibility only in the case of fire (The Split Statute, 1998, p. 791).<br />
The Zadar Statute, in Book V, Provision 38, determines responsibility for the damage<br />
sustained by merchant cargo. More specifically, this Provision deals with situations<br />
in which the cargo is transferred to another ship because the first ship was overload-<br />
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ed, and the cargo then sustains damage in the fire. In these cases, the damage should<br />
be covered from the ship's property. Only in exceptional cases, when the relations between<br />
the merchant and the shipowner are laid down in a contract, the provisions of<br />
the contract apply (The Zadar Statute, 1997, p. 427).<br />
The final provision, Provision 75, addresses the damage on a ship incurred after<br />
the ship leaves the Zadar port. The damage in question occurs due to bad weather<br />
which may start a fire. The damage is covered according to the rules applied in the<br />
context of the general average (The Zadar Statute, 1997, p. 453).<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
This paper addresses the statutes of Dalmatian towns and communes from the perspective<br />
of navigation. The aim was to prove that navigation was very important for Dalmatian<br />
towns and communes since their statutes contained numerous provisions referring<br />
to it.<br />
The provisions of these statutes regulate the issues involved in the winter navigation<br />
ban, stranding, shipwreck or danger posed by fire and pirates, which all add to<br />
the risks of navigation of that time.<br />
The statutes listed here testify how indispensable the provisions actually were, for<br />
they were applied to solve the most acute problems seafarers were facing at the time.<br />
References<br />
BrajkoviÊ, V. (1972). Avarija (havarija). Povijesni razvoj i druπtveno-ekonomsko znaËenje zajedniËkih<br />
avarija. In Pomorska enciklopedija (Vol. 1, pp. 232-233). Zagreb: LZMK.<br />
BrajkoviÊ, V. (1972). Brodolom. In Pomorska enciklopedija (Vol. 1, p. 599). Zagreb: LZMK.<br />
BrajkoviÊ, V. (1975). Gusarstvo. In Pomorska enciklopedija (Vol. 2, p. 592). Zagreb: LZMK.<br />
BrajkoviÊ, V. (1983). Piratstvo. In Pomorska enciklopedija (Vol. 6, p. 44). Zagreb: LZMK.<br />
Buljan, I. (1983). Poæar na brodu. In Pomorska enciklopedija (Vol. 6, p. 400). Zagreb: LZMK.<br />
Grabovac, I. (1991). Enciklopedija pojmova pomorskog prava. Split: Knjiæevni krug.<br />
Hvarski statut (1991). CvitaniÊ, A. (Ed.), Split: Knjiæevni krug.<br />
JankoviÊ, B. & VladikoviÊ, J. (1983). Pristaniπte. In Pomorska enciklopedija (Vol. 6, p. 444). Zagreb:<br />
LZMK.<br />
KisiÊ, I. (1985). Sudar brodova. In Pomorska enciklopedija (Vol. 7, p. 444). Zagreb: LZMK.<br />
Knjiga statuta, zakona i reformacija grada ©ibenika (1982). GrubiπiÊ S. & Herkov, Z. (Ed.), ©ibenik:<br />
Muzej grada ©ibenika.<br />
KojiÊ, B. (1978). Luka. In Pomorska enciklopedija (Vol. 4, p. 367). Zagreb: LZMK.<br />
KorËulanski statut (1995). CvitaniÊ, A. (Ed.). Split: Knjiæevni krug.<br />
PaviÊ, D. (2003). Pomorske havarije i osiguranje. Split: Pomorski fakultet SveuËiliπta u Splitu.<br />
PaviÊ, D. (2006). Pomorsko imovinsko pravo. Split: Knjiæevni krug.<br />
Pomorska enciklopedija (1978.—1989.), Vol. 18. Zagreb: LZMK.<br />
Rudolf, D. (1989). Enciklopedijski rjeËnik meappleunarodnog prava mora. Split: Knjiæevni krug.<br />
Statut grada Dubrovnika iz 1272. (1990). Kriæman M. & KolanoviÊ, J. (Ed.). Dubrovnik: Historijski<br />
arhiv.<br />
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Z. –ukiÊ: Navigational Regulations in the Adriatic Sea Laid Down in Statutes of...<br />
Statut grada Splita (1998). CvitaniÊ, A. (Ed.), Split: Knjiæevni krug.<br />
Statut grada Trogira (1988). Berket, M., CvitaniÊ A. & Gligo, V. (Ed.). Split: Knjiæevni krug.<br />
TambaËa, L. (1981). Nasukanje. In Pomorska enciklopedija (Vol. 5, p. 258). Zagreb: LZMK.<br />
Zadarski statut (1997). KolanoviÊ J. & Kriæman, M. (Ed.). Zadar: Hrvatski dræavni arhiv, Matica<br />
hrvatska.<br />
63
Branko KOSTELNIK<br />
THE BEAT FLEET:<br />
THE LEADER OF POP CULTURE ON<br />
THE CROATIAN<br />
MEDITERRANEAN<br />
It’s ironic, really, that he quotes Christ, One raised in an atheist family,<br />
In the dark, in a mixed marriage, In some faraway land he floats in the<br />
air, where I was carried by the stork, Yes, brought up not to hate and to<br />
be fair, honest and loyal, The difference between right and wrong, I<br />
didn’t learn from the priest, imam, or pastor, When those who know<br />
nothing took over, they blessed the guns, Sent the sheep to die for their<br />
only God, For the madness of their ideology, And when hate takes over,<br />
reason is no cure, Madness always changes history, Writes a new bloody<br />
one, In a land of peasants, in the mountainous Balkans.<br />
(TBF, “NostalgiËna”)<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
The hip hop group TBF (The Beat Fleet) from Split, Dalmatia, Croatia, has been active<br />
on the music scene for almost thirty years (twenty-two years since the first album was<br />
released and twenty-eight years since the founding of the band). They became leaders<br />
of the new generation of rockers in this part of Europe and, in a way, leaders of the<br />
new generation growing up in the nineties. A distinctive characteristic of their poeticism<br />
was found not only in their critical lyrics that describe Split and Dalmatia’s cruel<br />
everyday reality, but in the fact that they were able to portray the unique atmosphere<br />
of the Dalmatian way of life as a part of the Mediterranean. The group was inspired by<br />
the tradition of leading Dalmatian authors and songwriters such as Toma BebiÊ and<br />
Arsen DediÊ in 1970s, the group –avoli in the 1980s and by Split's greatest music legends<br />
like Gibonni, Dino Dvornik and the group Daleka obala in the1990s.<br />
TBF succeeded in building its own specific and authentic style immensely influenced<br />
by the Mediterranean and the city of Split. They were able to mix this local influence<br />
with the influence of the western pop and hip hop culture. They have been<br />
active for twenty years and through their many albums, concerts and videos, they have<br />
left a mark on the Croatian rock scene and on the pop culture of the Mediterranean. I<br />
will try to research the cause of TBF’s poeticism, their characteristics and the context<br />
in which they worked.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
2. THEORIES<br />
(From Exclusion to Inclusion: The Processes That Allow<br />
a Minority Group to Achieve Social Recognition)<br />
Discussing rock and roll, its influence, significance and its constant redefinition and revitalization<br />
can seem not only a pretentious task, but a slightly hopeless one as well.<br />
However, taking into account the broader meaning of rock and roll and popular culture<br />
in general as well as the very active and always new processes on the rock scene,<br />
whether they represent the easily predictable continuity that rests on the already exhausted<br />
styles of past decades, or are individual excesses or exceptions that prove the<br />
rule, I believe that sometimes it is worth recognizing certain events, names and trends<br />
of a certain time or their effect in the years to come. One of the leading rock sociologists,<br />
Simon Firth, whose book Sociology of Rock (1978) is considered one of the foundational<br />
studies of rock music, in his collection of essays and reviews Music for Pleasure,<br />
laid out a kind of self-critique of Sociology of Rock under the subtitle “Essays in<br />
the Sociology of Pop” (1988).<br />
In the introduction Frith writes, “Now I am quite sure that the era of rock is over.<br />
Of course, people will continue to play and enjoy rock music, but the music business<br />
no longer revolves around rock, around the sale of a certain kind of music event to<br />
young people. The era of rock — born in 1956 with Elvis Presley, reaching its peak in<br />
1967 with the Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper, and dying in 1976 with the Sex Pistols, was an<br />
indirect path in the development of 20th century pop music and not, as we had then<br />
concluded, some king of massive cultural revolution. Rock was the last romantic attempt<br />
to preserve music making — performer as artist, performance as community —<br />
that had been made obsolete by technology and capital. The energy and excitement of<br />
the music indicated, in the end, the desperation of the attempt. Nowadays, rock anthems<br />
are used to sell banks and cars. As I write this, Rolling Stone magazine is celebrating<br />
its 20th anniversary as if it always wanted to be what it is today — an elegant<br />
mediator for the diverse market of the middle age, middle class advertising campaigns<br />
of the most conservative American corporations” (Glavan, 1988, n. 8, p. 35). Supporting<br />
the then revolutionary, now generally accepted, argument that rock and roll was<br />
the first expression of black culture that was fully accepted by a white American audience,<br />
Charlie Gillet, the Englishman who authored the best history of the American<br />
phenomenon, in his doctoral dissertation in sociology The Sound of the City, which<br />
following its publication became one of the fundamental books on rock, explained this<br />
phenomenon by quoting Talcott Parsons regarding the process that makes it possible<br />
for a minority group to achieve social recognition: “The first stage is exclusion, then<br />
the minority group as a whole is denied the privileges enjoyed by the rest of society.<br />
The second stage is assimilation, when these privileges are granted to favored members<br />
of the minority group but continue to be withheld from the rest. The favored few<br />
are accepted on the condition that they break most of their contact with their own<br />
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B. Kostelnik: The Beat Fleet: The Leader of Pop Culture on the Croatian Mediterranean<br />
group and adopt the standards of the established society. The final stage is inclusion,<br />
when the entire minority group is granted access to everything in the society, without<br />
having to yield its distinctive characteristics.” (Glavan, 1994, p. 29). Gillet argues that<br />
since the beginnings of popular music, black music was never really excluded. Two<br />
kinds of assimilation actually occurred. One was the acceptance of black singers who<br />
adopted styles specially adapted for a white audience and so had little resemblance to<br />
styles popular with the black audience. The other was to take a song or style from the<br />
black culture and reproduce it using a white singer. American sociologist David Riesmann<br />
writes in his 1950 essay “Listening to Popular Music” about the meaning of minority<br />
tastes: “Minority groups are small... The rebelliousness of the minority group can<br />
be seen in relation to popular music: the insistence on rigorous standards in a relativist<br />
culture; a tendency toward the non-commercial, the creation of a private language<br />
and its abandonment — the same goes for other aspects of personal style — once it is<br />
adopted by the majority, deep resentment over the commercialization of radio and musicians...”<br />
(Glavan, 1994, n. 6, p. 29).<br />
Croatian popular music experienced major and radical changes during the 1990s.<br />
After the Communists were voted out of power in the first multi-party elections and<br />
Croatia gained independence after the war, things were never the same. Everything that<br />
occurred in the new, post-socialist society influenced all aspects of popular culture,<br />
rock and roll included. The beginning of the 1990s signaled the arrival of a new musical<br />
trend — a trend whose characteristics and strong support from the media and leading<br />
agents surpasses all other relevant musical genres — Croatian dance music (Kostelnik,<br />
2011, p. 133-139). The collapse of the middle class (which had a direct effect on<br />
the purchasing power of music consumers), the use of playback in clubs, the closing<br />
of clubs resulting in the impossibility of putting on live musical events, the departure<br />
of a large part of the male population due to the war, the transition from one generation<br />
to another on the music scene, migration, the rise in ruralism and provincialism in<br />
popular culture, as well as other processes, led to the nearly complete marginalization<br />
of rock genre bands and artists. It was not until the end of the war in 1995, with the<br />
coming of peace and the middle-class recovery, as well as with the rise of urban elements<br />
and urban lifestyle, that conditions were ripe for the return of rock and roll and<br />
live musical performances in Croatia. It is interesting to note that the biggest dance music<br />
star, Toni Cetinski, along with his manager, was the first to recognize the shift. He<br />
was the first musician to form a band and begin playing live. In this new climate, several<br />
new bands deeply rooted in the rock and roll tradition (Majke, Kojoti, Hladno pivo,<br />
Pips, Chips & Videoclips, except for the hip hop/rap band TBF) took their chances and<br />
brought back rock and roll to the local music scene. These bands were supported by<br />
already established bands such as Psihomodo Pop, Let 3 and KUD Idioti. In the past<br />
two years, new but established festivals (a summer event at ©alata and a Christmas<br />
event titled Fiju briju) managed to draw crowds of more than 50,000 elated fans, de-<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
spite the fact that the bands and their music had until recently been described as alternative<br />
(Kostelnik, 2011, p. 29-34).<br />
From a sociological perspective, it is worth taking what Mike Brake calls the relationship<br />
between youth subcultures and how they relate to problems in the broader<br />
structure, especially issues of social class. Brake argues that all people must confront<br />
the difference between what a person feels about themselves and what a person thinks<br />
the outside world thinks of them because of the mediation of “significant others”<br />
(Brake, 1984, p. 86). The term “significant others” refers to the work of social psychologist<br />
G. H. Mead, which developed from the theory of symbolic interaction. The term<br />
refers to the understanding that in a fragmented and differentiated world, the opinions<br />
of significant others, with whom the individual is in contact, are more meaningful to<br />
him than the opinions of social actors who are secondary influences on his development.<br />
Significant others can be individuals such as parents, peers, referential groups or<br />
even the individual himself.<br />
What is particularly fascinating is the fact that these artists, in addition to the chaotic<br />
structure of their personalities and their unstable lifestyles (rehearsals, studio time,<br />
tours, etc.), managed to find a voice to adequately express themselves. They proved<br />
that in addition to talent, they were also rational and calculated. “If you want to signal<br />
anarchy, first you have to choose an appropriate language, even if it has to be destroyed.<br />
If, for example, we want to reject punk as chaos, then we must first be devised<br />
as noise”, writes Dick Hebdige in his book Subculture: The Meaning of Style<br />
(Hebdige, 1980, p. 90).<br />
3. PRACTICES, CONTEXT AND TESTIMONY<br />
TBF, The Beat Fleet, is a typical product of Split — like “Split’s kids” or bands from the<br />
1980s — a neighborhood gang or the kids you see hanging out on the corner. They<br />
started out in the early 1990s, making their first recordings in 1992. Of course, production<br />
was rudimentary, with the usual bits of sampled hip hop and borrowed quotes,<br />
beats and rhymes. The band’s first significant progress came from working with the already<br />
experienced multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer Dragan LukiÊ Luky,<br />
who took the band under his wing. Their debut album Ping Pong was released in 1997<br />
under the Croatia Records label. “The debut established their trade-mark style: creative<br />
samples integrated into an organic whole, socially engaged lyrics conceived and performed<br />
as sharp critiques of everyday life, and authentic chroniclers of Split, a city<br />
struggling in the jaws of transition” (Gall, <strong>2018</strong>, p. 221).<br />
The feel of Meje, Split’s residential west side neighborhood, spreads well beyond<br />
the city’s limits. The fact that Split’s most prominent athletes, artists, politicians and<br />
businessmen, such as the former president of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito, tennis player<br />
Goran IvaniπeviÊ, football player Aljoπa AsanoviÊ, basketball player Dino Raapplea,<br />
painters Zvonimir MihanoviÊ and Matko TrebotiÊ chose this neighborhood to build<br />
their luxury houses, villas and vacation homes has contributed to the image of Meje as<br />
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B. Kostelnik: The Beat Fleet: The Leader of Pop Culture on the Croatian Mediterranean<br />
the Beverly Hills of Split. Our story, however, begins to the east, closer to downtown,<br />
where three- and four- story apartment houses are home to the middle and middlelower<br />
class, who live a peaceful, perhaps a bit autistic, individualist existence, on the<br />
margins of city-life and almost completely separated from the wealthy residents of the<br />
southern foothills of Marjan. This older and retired population of mostly veterans and<br />
their families separate Meje from the city’s bustling center by a well-established cultural<br />
and mental barrier. The story begins in the 1980s. The social life of the local community<br />
largely took place at the district community center with everyday activities for<br />
all ages of the overripe self-governing socialist society. Pensioners and kids would play<br />
chess, cards and board games, sharing the space provided by the Meje Community<br />
Center. The highlights of the community’s social calendar were events marking national<br />
holidays like Republic Day and others (»elan, <strong>2018</strong>, p. 8).<br />
The heroes of this story grew up in Split’s Meje district. This is actually a very paradoxical<br />
situation. Meje has never been the Bronx. It was just the opposite! Meje never<br />
had a branch of the Hajduk football fan club Torcida. “There were attempts to form<br />
one, but the fans that had attended Hajduk’s events over the past decades would go to<br />
the games in small quiet groups or join other larger groups from nearby neighborhoods,<br />
mostly because they had formed these relationships in high school and later at<br />
work. That is why the residents of this isolated neighborhood, located inside the rough<br />
and emotionally-charged, often brutal Split environment, in the working class context<br />
of the era of social realism of the late 20 th century, were often seen as posers, wimps,<br />
and mamma’s boys”, wrote Nikola »elan, one of the founders of the band (»elan, <strong>2018</strong>,<br />
p. 8).<br />
New, mostly illegal, places to buy music were cropping up constantly all over the<br />
country. Rap landed in Yugoslavia with a splash thanks to a special edition of the teen<br />
music magazine ∆ao, dedicated exclusively to the rap genre. In this special edition titled<br />
∆ao Rep, editor Vladan PaunoviÊ managed to thoroughly and convincingly present<br />
through texts and images all that was relevant in American (sometimes British) hip hop,<br />
launching the genre into the media landscape of former Yugoslavia. Although Zlatko<br />
Gall, a journalist for the newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija and Nedjeljna Dalmacija, was<br />
also on several occasions able to convey the development and arrival of a new black<br />
sound coming from the American streets to Europe. Until its first commercial incarnations<br />
by Ice MC, MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice, it was difficult to ignore the genre in any<br />
serious music or cultural media discourse.<br />
The new style and image were embraced on an almost religious, cult-like scale. It<br />
did not take long for the whole street, followed by a critical mass of fresh teenagers,<br />
including those who didn’t care much for music until then, to begin identifying as rappers.<br />
The number grew every day. This was mostly a movement occurring among a<br />
core group of friends who had grown up together diving at Sustipan in the summers<br />
and playing cards and games in the winters. All of a sudden, instead of having endless<br />
fights in the neighborhoods and schools, they had something bigger, more important<br />
69
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
and globally binding to talk about — a new and cool identity, energy and symbols that<br />
required us as loyal followers to spread them through the media and the values of hip<br />
hop. These symbols and values included graffiti, MCs, DJs, cassettes and records,<br />
record players and their components, ghetto blasters, Roland and Technics, gold<br />
chains, baseball caps, sneakers, sweatpants and hoodies, Adidas and Nike.<br />
We were even compelled to play basketball and baseball (although none of us understood<br />
the game or ever really played), because these were the desired “black” sports<br />
or were in spirit, style, code and visual representation infused with hip hop.<br />
In the biorhythm of society, 1995 marked a return to darkness reminiscent of the<br />
wartime year 1991. We were, without being especially aware of it, a small, poor, provincial,<br />
although a progressive and an elite creative unit. During this time, this unit was<br />
forever separating itself from the flows of wartime transition that were bubbling around<br />
us, and it emancipated itself into something that later, although we did not know it at<br />
the time. They will never quite achieve the status and commercial success of the pop<br />
cultural matrix that inspired and gave rise to it. They were in a state of disinterest with<br />
our surroundings — they did not care about them, nor did they care about us in the<br />
vicious cycle of apathy and ignorance. Split was then, and for a long time afterwards,<br />
an unhealthy, dangerous and monotone community. The deeply rooted one-dimensionality,<br />
hardcore working class and football fan urban culture were divided from the<br />
networked elitist snobbish high culture of the wealthy, white-collar workers (led by<br />
doctors, restaurateurs, mainstream artists and journalists). Nobody there, including our<br />
new segment rooted in the values and language of popular (and less popular) music<br />
and all that goes with it, cared about anyone beyond their own circle and tribe, regardless<br />
of that person’s persona and scope. At that time, the growing divide of the city’s<br />
subcultures had yielded room for the inclusion of the cursed, the desperados and of<br />
those who did not belong to a subculture and the pathology and demons they brought<br />
with them. They had a good understanding of the language of the streets. They also<br />
had to understand the psychology of prisons because convicts and criminals, out on<br />
temporary release, and traumatized, unstable, armed veterans home for the weekend,<br />
gradually began to dominate our social environment.<br />
“We had an idea; the will, the ideology, a naïve homemade recording and Sola’s<br />
Pioneer on which he practiced scratching daily on his own and his brother’s records<br />
(Sola’s father Rade, who passed on to us the audiophile tendency, had strictly forbidden<br />
access to his record collection of classic rock and roll in the living room). We<br />
lacked new lyrics and any kind of technology for making music. At one point, an original<br />
Roland 808 appeared in a music shop at the Koteks shopping center, but there was<br />
no way we could have purchased it at that time. We didn’t have the money, and even<br />
if we did, it would have been difficult for us kids to use what was then relatively sophisticated<br />
technology without a tutorial, literature or anyone with the necessary<br />
knowledge, and any additional resources nearby”, »elan remembered (»elan, <strong>2018</strong>, p.<br />
25).<br />
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B. Kostelnik: The Beat Fleet: The Leader of Pop Culture on the Croatian Mediterranean<br />
There was no room for junkies at the Peristyle — the center of Split. Drugs were<br />
accessible and cheap during the 1990s in Split and were available for purchase on every<br />
corner (weed 30 kn, dope 40 kn for a shoot). Light hallucinogens like weed were<br />
always welcome, but the harder stuff was never accepted. Dependency was in contrast<br />
to creativity and was, therefore, rejected. New drugs like ecstasy had just arrived on the<br />
market, while stimulants like cocaine and speed were still quite rare, expensive and<br />
difficult to get on the street. Prescription drug abuse was quite popular, from uppers<br />
and pills to heptos and methadone. Sometimes individuals did develop a habit, but that<br />
meant they would be out of the game for a while and separated from the core group<br />
and the scene.<br />
“The problem with the Peristyle was the raids conducted by the Ghetto folk, the<br />
residents of the area around the Peristyle and Dioclecian’s Palace. Every so often, they<br />
would gather in groups of 15 to 20 and begin taking out their frustrations on the crowd<br />
that besides basic personal freedoms — music, love, and alcohol consumption — had<br />
few other interests. Often, they would clear the entire square for no reason. An especially<br />
cruel occurrence in the ghetto neighborhood was to send the youngest residents,<br />
often children, to taunt the crowd, while they waited in the background for someone<br />
to take the bait. They would be aggressive and brutal and any kind of resistance (instead<br />
of complete and immediate submission to the stronger force) was unimaginable”,<br />
»elan testified (»elan, <strong>2018</strong>, p. 79).<br />
Everything you need to know about TBF can be found on their six studio albums,<br />
one compilation and one live album. They have around seventy tracks, and at least<br />
every third one was a greatest hit. The average gets even better by the middle of their<br />
career when TBF released the albums Maxon Universal and Galerija Tutnplok. This period<br />
produced “NostalgiËna”, “Heroyix”, “Bog i Zemljani”, “Esej”, “Alles gut”, “Ne znam<br />
πto bi reka”, “FantastiËna”, “–ita”, “Data”, “Intropatija” and “Smak svita”, a monumental<br />
opus that placed TBF among Croatia’s most important bands.<br />
Every lyric and rhyme is marked with the artistic signature of Saπa AntiÊ, the most<br />
talented poet among Croatia’s rappers and the greatest chronicler since the greatest<br />
Dalmatian writer and journalist Miljenko Smoje.<br />
“When working at optimal levels, it is as if the brain of the operation is telepathically<br />
linked with the rest of the band, but the slow development and release of TBF’s<br />
albums in four year-cycles left room and time for Saπa’s rap alter ego, Alejandro Buendija,<br />
to veer off the path and take a solo excursion here and there. Although he released<br />
his only solo album Pepermint back in 2007 and quickly abandoned it as the<br />
band prepared to release Galerija Tutnplok, he continued his parallel solo career, making<br />
use of guest appearances and collaborations with friends to make excellent tracks<br />
that time and again reminded listeners that his poetry anthology extended well beyond<br />
TBF’s albums” (»uliÊ, <strong>2018</strong>, p. 67).<br />
“The other unembellished and dark side of Croatia’s post-war 1990s was told not<br />
by a bunch of revved up garage-band kids permanently inspired by the Sex Pistols and<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
The Clash, but by a bunch of chatty rappers”, wrote Zlatko Gall and added, “If you<br />
were to go looking for the best accounts of all that went wrong and all the ‘crap’ that<br />
went down from the 1990s until today, you would not find them in political columns<br />
or commentaries as much as you would in the rap opus of TBF and other fast-rhyming<br />
rappers whose lyrics were filled with powerful truths about ourselves. After all,<br />
TBF’s opus and Saπa AntiÊ's rhymes are the most authentic reflection of the years<br />
marked by transition and corruption and the dark sociocultural side of Split (‘Grad spava’,<br />
‘Splitsko stanje uma’). These truths are woven into masterpieces like the song ‘NostalgiËna’<br />
and many others whose lyrics still ring true today” (Gall, <strong>2018</strong>, p. 221).<br />
Ping Pong is packed with lucid poetic images, striking metaphors that draw their<br />
life-blood and raison d’etre from the unusual street jargon specific to Split. “The song<br />
‘Splitsko stanje uma’ (‘Split State of Mind’) (which offers the anthological conclusion: I<br />
love a city where everyone’s a player and where in just a few days, the biggest ones<br />
become losers) can be interpreted as a rap extension to the thousands of pages penned<br />
in homage to the city by the likes of Bogdan Radica, Miljenko Smoje and Tolja Kudrjacev.<br />
It was a successful attempt at literature, written in the low vernacular, coming from<br />
the urban streets, where TBF’s generation roamed aimlessly. The lyrics penned by Saπa<br />
AntiÊ were not the only ones to shine on the band’s debut album. That is, Dragan LukiÊ<br />
Luky, who is not only an affiliate member of the band to the founding threesome<br />
of Mladen Badovinac, Saπa AntiÊ, and Luka BarbiÊ, but a producer, multitasker, and<br />
musician, who has managed to create a stunning mix of seemingly incompatible facets<br />
of the ‘general’ and ‘local’ songbook. For example, the excellent ‘Ye'n dva’, with its cut<br />
and paste sample poetics, lucidly combines Dizzy Gillespie and Marley's ‘Stir It Up’ into<br />
red-hot acid jazz. ‘Untouchables’, which deals with corruption and high-level thievery,<br />
perfectly picks a sample of ‘Neznani pomorac’ by Toma BebiÊ, while ‘Adam’ —<br />
sampling Olivera Katarina and her old cover of the African theme in the song ‘Jer ljubav<br />
ti je miris belog cveÊa’ — creates an exceptional musical foundation with shades<br />
of world music and jungle beats. The best, however, comes last. ‘101 Dalamatinac’ is a<br />
fascinating mix of Jimmy Hendrix’s ‘Foxy Lady’, the narrative of Karlo BuliÊ, playing<br />
Dotur Luiapplei in Malo misto and trip hop. The song ‘Splitsko stanje uma’, with samples<br />
of Arsen DediÊ’s a cappella ‘Zaludu me svitovala mati’, became the ultimate Dalmatian<br />
anthem for the modern age”, concluded Gall (Gall, <strong>2018</strong>, p. 222-223).<br />
All of this is just as evident in the next and equally good album Uskladimo toplomjere<br />
released under the Menart label. The album deservedly triumphed at the Crni<br />
maËak music journalist awards and launched a trove of radio and concert hits such as<br />
“Genije” (taking its cues from a well-known hit by the best Croatian singer Josipa Lisac),<br />
“ObraËun kod Hakikija”, “PljaËke” and “Crne krave”.<br />
With their third and fourth albums Maxon Universal (2004) and Galerija Tutnplok<br />
(2007), TBF made it to the top of the pop lists in Croatia and the Balkans. They matured,<br />
improved their production, made better music and professional performance,<br />
and they became a quality mainstream pop band that sold out numerous concerts and<br />
72
B. Kostelnik: The Beat Fleet: The Leader of Pop Culture on the Croatian Mediterranean<br />
albums. This is the most painless passing over from alternative to mainstream without<br />
compromise. It was only seen in several examples as rock bands Majke and Hladno<br />
pivo in domestic rock, or Eminem and Tupac in hip hop, or Nirvana and Green Day<br />
on the global rock scene.<br />
4. CONCLUSION<br />
If we take the work and careers of the TBF band, in the context of Talcott Parson’s argument<br />
about the process that allows a minority to achieve social acceptance quoted<br />
at the beginning of this text, we can conclude that the degree of exclusion (when a minority<br />
group gives up the right to privileges enjoyed by the rest of society) that this<br />
band experienced at the beginnings of their careers while playing in garages and generally<br />
ignored by society was quite high. However, with their persistence and talent,<br />
TBF managed to clear the hurdle of the second degree, assimilation, that allows some<br />
liberties to individual members of a minority, while denying them to other members.<br />
These privileged individuals are accepted on the condition that they cease almost all<br />
contact with their own group. The band then reached the final step, inclusion, when<br />
the entire group was allowed access to all spheres of society without being asked to<br />
give up their own special characteristics. Namely, they were widely accepted by audiences<br />
and critics, without having to give up their uncompromising commitment to the<br />
rock and roll style, sound and attitude. TBF managed to make it on their terms and<br />
reach an enviable level of acceptance by society. This only goes to show that rock<br />
counterculture is rooted in internal controversy as a spontaneous reactionary formation<br />
by a discriminated population that is looking for its seat at the table and recognition<br />
from the society to which it belongs. The conflict with its environment and the desire<br />
for acceptance from that same environment is only one of the characteristics, but also<br />
controversies, of rock culture.<br />
In TBF’s case, there are thousands of examples that could be characterized as their<br />
wildness, free-spiritedness and lack of inhibition. However, Theodore Roszak best expresses<br />
what they should have done, and did do, in his book Counterculture: “...for<br />
him and others like him — there was no way out in our society. When he asked his<br />
reasonable question, fifteen experts on the stage could not provide an answer. But he<br />
gave a typical American answer: ‘Do it yourself. If there is no society for you, young<br />
man, make one yourself’” (Roszak, 1978, p. 152).<br />
References<br />
»elan, N. (2017). Baπtina — kako sam preæivio splitske devedesete. O prvih 10 godina TBF-a.<br />
Sjeverni pol d.o.o., Split.<br />
»uliÊ, I. (2009). TBF — oni zvuËe moÊnije od bilo kakve Azre. Jutarnji list, Zagreb (5. 12. 2009., p.<br />
83).<br />
»uliÊ, I. (<strong>2018</strong>). Leæim sjeban, u pitanju je kvar, stavija sam ËepiÊ u Ëmar, Express, Zagreb (24. 8.<br />
<strong>2018</strong>.).<br />
73
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Brake, M. (1984). Sociologija mladinske kultur in mladinskih subkultur. KRT, Ljubljana.<br />
Frith, S. (1988). Music for Pleasure: Essays in the Sociology of Pop. Routledge, New York.<br />
Gillet, C. (1983). Sound of City. Souvenir Press, London.<br />
Glavan, D. (1994.). Crno bijeli zvuk, Heroina Nova, Zagreb, n. 6, p. 29.<br />
Glavan, D. (1994). Uæitak preciznog prepoznavanja, Heroina Nova, Zagreb, n. 8, p. 35.<br />
Gall, Z. (<strong>2018</strong>). Splitska dica. Od zidiÊa do vjeËnosti. Croatia records d.o.o., Zagreb.<br />
Hebdige, D. (1980). Potkultura: znaËenje stila. PeËat, Beograd.<br />
Kostelnik, B. (2011). PopkalËrl, Fraktura, ZapreπiÊ.<br />
Kostelnik, B. (2011). Eros, laæi i pop rock pjesme, HDP, Zagreb i Fraktura, ZapreπiÊ.<br />
Roszak, T. (1978). Kontrakultura. Naprijed, Zagreb.<br />
74
Ivan MALO»A, Ozana RAMLJAK, Pavao VRANE©EVI∆<br />
PROMOTING DESTINATIONS<br />
THROUGH FILM: CROATIAN FILM AND<br />
THE MEDITERRANEAN<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
Film, as an audio-visual work requiring the involvement and efforts of various artists,<br />
actors, authors and other creators taking part in its production, cannot be regarded as<br />
a mere commercial product, since it is just as much, or even more so, an artistic and<br />
cultural creation. Through film, authors do not merely tell stories; they also express<br />
opinions and portray certain segments of a location and its culture as well as point out<br />
socio-political problems in society (MaloËa, 2017). Likewise, a film can take part, as<br />
indeed it does, in the promotion of a place or a country, that is, of a destination. This<br />
is done either in an indirect way, by “representing” the country of origin through the<br />
film’s quality and uniqueness (e.g., French films, Italian films, etc.) or in a direct way,<br />
using the natural beauty, attractiveness and splendour of destination landscapes, thus<br />
promoting it even further. The benefits of this kind of promotion and the noted<br />
connection between film and destinations are mutual — the beauty and the appeal of<br />
a particular destination’s landscape can attract more audiences and generate more<br />
interest in the film, whilst the success and quality of the film itself can consequently<br />
attract more visitors to the destination. This is in line with the definition of film-induced<br />
tourism, described as the visits of tourists to destinations or attractions which are<br />
motivated by their promotion on the silver screen or on television (Evans, 1997). In this<br />
sense, both directly and indirectly, films can encourage tourists to visit particular<br />
destinations by creating not only their own ideas, messages, values and meanings but<br />
also the ideas, values, messages and meaning of the destination portrayed in them<br />
(O’Connor, Flanagan, Gilbert, 2010). There are many examples of destinations that<br />
have gained popularity following the success of a particular movie or TV series. Some<br />
of the more well-known examples of successful promotion of a film or television series<br />
that created an increase in tourism to various destinations are the Harry Potter films,<br />
responsible for the surge in popularity of numerous locations in Great Britain; The Lord<br />
of the Rings films and their enormous success, generating an incredible increase in New<br />
Zealand's popularity as a tourist destination; the mega-popular Game of Thrones series,<br />
which has driven a remarkable increase in tourism to numerous destinations, such as<br />
Dubrovnik, Spain (multiple locations), Malta and Iceland (also various locations);<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, which placed the city of Petra in Jordan at the<br />
very top of the list of popular tourist destinations; Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, which put<br />
Cambodia, and more specifically Angkor, on the “tourist map”, and so on 1 (Gadd,<br />
2015). Just as an example, in the December 14, 2012 online edition of Forbes, it is<br />
reported that a 50% increase in arrivals to New Zealand has been seen since The Lord<br />
of the Rings, which clearly had a huge impact on tourism revenue, and the same<br />
situation is evident in various locations in the UK thanks to the Harry Potter film series<br />
(Pinchefsky, 2012, Tuclea & Nistoreanu, 2011). The latter source cites other examples<br />
of movie successes influencing an increase in visitation numbers at film locations. After<br />
all, had The Lord of the Rings film series not been so successful and beneficial for the<br />
destination as well as film production, it is doubtful if other blockbusters would have<br />
been filmed at the same location, such as King Kong (Croy, 2004). Examples are many,<br />
and all of this testifies to the importance of promoting destinations through film for the<br />
destinations themselves. Finally, films can also play a major role in the branding of a<br />
destination or a country, which is again evident in the example of New Zealand as well<br />
as in the case of Dubrovnik as King’s Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms of<br />
Westeros from Game of Thrones (King’s Landing Dubrovnik, n. d.). In their article The<br />
Role of Feature Films in Branding States, Regions and Cities, Skoko, BrËiÊ and Gluva-<br />
ËeviÊ write about destination branding as follows: “Destination branding aims to define<br />
the identity of a destination, to highlight its advantages and uniqueness, and to design<br />
ways of managing all aspects of the destination as well as its relationships and<br />
communications, primarily with its own citizens, and then all others” (pp 9-10). On the<br />
other hand, Papadopoulos defines a destination, i.e. place branding as “the broad set<br />
of efforts by country, regional and city governments and by industry groups aimed at<br />
marketing the places and sectors they represent” (Papadopoulos, 2004, qtd. in Skoko,<br />
BrËiÊ, GluvaËeviÊ, 2012, p. 11). The process thus includes defining the destination as a<br />
unique product, conceiving a destination identity, emphasising its advantages and<br />
portraying it in a positive light, therefore improving the overall impression of the<br />
destination (Skoko, BrËiÊ, GluvaËeviÊ, 2012, p. 10). In this kind of destination branding,<br />
a feature film becomes an increasingly effective means of communication and<br />
promotion: films inspire people, who become enchanted by cinematic imagery, to visit<br />
the places where the film was shot and where film heroes stayed. In the promotion of<br />
a destination (as in the promotion of some brands), the film does not suggest or try to<br />
persuade viewers to visit the destination or experience it as is done in regular<br />
advertising, therefore eliminating resistance among viewers. Destination branding is<br />
mostly a part of the film narrative itself and is one of the most persuasive and most<br />
1 10 Places Made Famous By Movies And TV Shows (2014), The Richest (accessed December 4,<br />
<strong>2018</strong>), https://www.therichest.com/expensive-lifestyle/entertainment/10-places-made-famousby-movies-and-tv-shows/;<br />
Infantado, A. (n.d.), 12 Fabulous Destinations Made Popular By Films<br />
(accessed December 4, <strong>2018</strong>), <br />
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I. MaloËa, O. Ramljak, P. VraneπeviÊ: Promoting Destinations through Film...<br />
profitable forms of destination promotion. Furthermore, film is a particularly powerful<br />
and effective medium as it achieves psychological and promotional effects based on<br />
emotional and visual, rather than merely intellectual, experiences (Skoko, BrËiÊ,<br />
GluvaËiÊ, 2012, pp. 12-13).<br />
Various authors have written about the creation of a positive destination image,<br />
such as Busby, Klug (2001), Pike, Page (2014), Gartner (2014), Beeton (2016) and many<br />
others. Naturally, a big part of a destination’s image is the overall marketing of the film.<br />
In Hollywood, marketing has a very important role in film production and<br />
increases film profits; however, when it comes to the Croatian film industry, marketing<br />
is still not used successfully or sufficiently enough to promote Croatian film. Although<br />
in recent times some progress has been seen, there is still plenty of room for more<br />
substantial and vaster improvement. The promotion of a country and its destinations<br />
through film is one such area.<br />
2. METHODOLOGY<br />
2.1. Aims and Objectives of the Research<br />
In the Croatian film industry, marketing is still not used successfully or sufficiently<br />
enough in Croatian film. The promotion of a country or its destinations is just one<br />
element of marketing, and at the same time, given the subject of this paper, it is the<br />
focal point of the research. Consequently, the objective of the research is to find out<br />
about the perceptions and attitudes of the Croatian general public and Croatian film<br />
professionals on promoting destinations through film, that is, on the use of attractive<br />
locations in Croatia in Croatian films as one of the ways in which Croatian films can be<br />
better marketed and achieve greater success in the market. Based on the formulated<br />
research objectives, the following central research hypothesis was defined:<br />
H1: As a Mediterranean country with many attractive locations, Croatia has not<br />
been promoted sufficiently or successfully enough through Croatian film, and in this<br />
lies an enormous untapped potential that could help Croatian film make progress in<br />
commercial and in other ways and that could have positive effects on Croatian tourism<br />
as well.<br />
In order to test the validity of the central hypothesis more easily, auxiliary<br />
hypotheses were formulated, and they were the source for the questions in the<br />
questionnaires as well as for those in the in-depth interviews:<br />
Auxiliary hypothesis #1: Foreign and Croatian films shot in Croatia contribute to<br />
tourism and the general impression of Croatia.<br />
Auxiliary hypothesis #2: Croatian films can promote the country as a tourist<br />
destination and help the general impression of Croatia.<br />
Auxiliary hypothesis #3: Croatian films do not exploit attractive domestic shooting<br />
locations effectively enough.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Auxiliary hypothesis #4: Using marketing and marketing tools would increase the<br />
visibility of Croatian films as well as positively influence their perception and<br />
reception.<br />
The research aim is to test the validity of the hypotheses and propose that<br />
promoting destinations through Croatian films would create a better general impression<br />
of Croatia, that it would have a beneficial impact on tourism and that it would lead to<br />
the greater success of Croatian films, as all of these factors affect one another.<br />
2.2. Research Methods<br />
Methodology used in the research and in testing out the hypothesis varied depending<br />
on the type of respondents. Film experts were called for in-depth interviews, and an<br />
interview guideline was used as a research tool for this purpose. Film professionals<br />
were surveyed online through the use of a software tool appropriate for this purpose,<br />
and the data collection tool used was a semi-structured questionnaire. The following<br />
methodology was used for the general population: a research instrument was designed<br />
— a highly structured survey questionnaire, and the survey itself was conducted by a<br />
specialized research agency using the CATI method (Computer Assisted Telephone<br />
Interviewing). All three studies were carried out within a larger project, but for the<br />
purpose of this paper, only those parts related to the subject matter were used.<br />
2.3. Samples and Sampling Methods<br />
The sample of film experts was taken in accordance with the author’s own assessment.<br />
More precisely, twenty film experts were selected based on their expertise, insight and<br />
knowledge about Croatian film and based on the diversity of their professions. The<br />
intention was to get suitable respondents who would be able to share their expert<br />
opinions regarding various areas and aspects of Croatian film and, therefore, regarding<br />
the promotion of the country or its destinations through film. The interviewed subjects<br />
included film critics, distributors, cinema operators, filmmakers, producers,<br />
cinematographers, film theorists and university professors who earned their PhD in<br />
film. Therefore, the method used was purposive sampling.<br />
Market research among the film professionals in general was conducted through<br />
an online survey on a sample of 260 respondents. All respondents took the questionnaire<br />
anonymously (except on the level of analysed qualities). The intention was to<br />
include various groups associated with film; therefore, different film industry workers<br />
were among the respondents, such as producers, film directors, cinematographers, film<br />
critics, distributors, screenwriters, authors, actors and more. The respondents were also<br />
from various sociodemographic backgrounds. Thus, we got a more comprehensive<br />
picture and a detailed quantitative insight into the participants’ attitudes about the state<br />
of Croatian film related to all of its aspects.<br />
The general public sample, i.e. the general population, is a representative stratified<br />
sample of respondents over the age of fifteen, with 1,000 respondents surveyed on the<br />
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I. MaloËa, O. Ramljak, P. VraneπeviÊ: Promoting Destinations through Film...<br />
territory of the Republic of Croatia. The sample was stratified by geographical regions<br />
and town size, with control of sociodemographic characteristics (age, sex, education).<br />
The aim was to include respondents of different sociodemographic features and<br />
characteristics, one of them being the region and the size of the town in which they<br />
live, and this was successfully achieved. During the survey, interviewers recorded the<br />
answers as stated by the respondents. The research conducted with the general<br />
population, together with the aforementioned research, has provided an overall insight<br />
into the state of Croatian film with regards to all of its aspects.<br />
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION<br />
For the purpose of this paper, we will present the results of the research that surveyed<br />
Croatian film experts working in the Croatian film industry and the general public<br />
(Croatian citizens) that were grouped in several categories (use of marketing and<br />
marketing tools in Croatian films, quality of Croatian films, contribution of either<br />
foreign or Croatian films shot in Croatia to Croatian tourism and to the general<br />
impression of Croatia).<br />
When it comes to the use of marketing and marketing tools in Croatian films in<br />
general and their impact on the success of Croatian films, most Croatian film experts<br />
believe that the use of marketing tools would certainly lead to a greater popularity of<br />
Croatian films, while some experts also listed the conditions for this to be achieved: the<br />
film itself would have to be of high quality and the genre would have to be appealing<br />
to the audience; the marketing tools would have to be applied in the earliest phases<br />
of the film’s development and would have to be systematically implemented up to the<br />
distribution of the film; marketing and marketing tools would have to be used in<br />
combination with appropriate distribution and would have to be implemented by<br />
people who really know how marketing works. (Figure 1)<br />
Also, most of the experts believe that the use of marketing tools would positively<br />
influence the perception and reception of Croatian film by the general public.<br />
Specifically, as much as eight of the respondents believe that this would definitely<br />
happen, whereas another two experts think that this would probably, or, maybe,<br />
happen. The others, generally looking at their responses, claimed that this would<br />
depend on the marketing approaches but also on the “product” itself; in other words,<br />
a prerequisite would be a good, high-quality and interesting film. (Figure 2)<br />
As for the Croatian film industry professionals, they also broadly agree with the<br />
proposition that the use of marketing tools would lead to greater box-office success of<br />
films as well as with the statement that it would positively influence the perception and<br />
reception of Croatian films by the general public. This can be inferred from the high<br />
mean value related to this statement; from the table with mean values related to<br />
questions about Croatian film, where respondents were asked to indicate their level of<br />
agreement with a given statement using a five-point scale, (1 = “completely disagree”<br />
and 5 = “completely agree”); as well as from the total share of respondents who agreed<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Figure 1 Impact of marketing tools on the popularity of Croatian film — film experts<br />
Figure 2 Impact of marketing tools on the perception and reception of Croatian film — film experts<br />
Figure 3 Respondents’ level of agreement with the statement (in %) — film professionals<br />
80
I. MaloËa, O. Ramljak, P. VraneπeviÊ: Promoting Destinations through Film...<br />
with the statement either mostly or completely. The overall mean value was 3.76 (see<br />
Table 1), which can be interpreted as a high tendency of respondents to mostly agree<br />
with the statement, and the proportion of respondents who agree mostly or completely<br />
was 67. 3% (see Figure 3). It should be noted that the share of the surveyed film<br />
professionals (members of the HDFD — The Film Artists' Association of Croatia — or<br />
other workers in the film industry) who disagreed (mostly or completely) was very<br />
small and amounted to only 13.5%, as can also be seen in Figure 3.<br />
Table 1 Respondents’ level of agreement: MEAN VALUES — film professionals<br />
(Note: 1 — completely disagree, 2 — mostly disagree, 3 — neither agree nor disagree,<br />
4 — mostly agree, 5 — completely agree)<br />
Using marketing tools would generally positively influence the perception and<br />
reception of Croatian film by the general public<br />
Overall mean 3,76<br />
Type of respondents HDFD 3,77<br />
Others 3,75<br />
The case of HAVC Before 3,76<br />
After 3,75<br />
Sex Male 3,7<br />
Female 3,84<br />
Age 18-35 3,87<br />
36-45 3,97<br />
46+ 3,48<br />
Education BA/BS degree or lower 3,79<br />
MA/MS degree or higher 3,74<br />
These results, which confirm the fourth auxiliary hypothesis, that the use of<br />
marketing and marketing tools would increase the visibility of Croatian films as well as<br />
positively influence their perception and reception, are highly significant because they<br />
also imply the need for the use of promotion. Promotion is one of the fundamental<br />
marketing tools and marketing elements, and is thus also closely related to the<br />
promotion of destinations that can serve as yet another instrument to bring greater<br />
success and boost sales of the product — which is Croatian film.<br />
Furthermore, and for indicative reasons, when it comes to surveying film industry<br />
professionals, it is worth observing their level of agreement with the statement that<br />
says, “In the recent few years Croatia has produced high-quality films that have<br />
achieved international success.” The mean value related to this statement was 3.57,<br />
which means that even though the respondents neither agree nor disagree, there was<br />
still a slight inclination for them to generally mostly agree. That is, expressed by the<br />
share of respondents who mostly or completely agree with the statement, 58.9% of the<br />
interviewed film professionals agree with it to some extent. These results can be seen<br />
in the tables and figures below. The results are indicative because if it is true that in<br />
recent years Croatia has produced high-quality films that have achieved international<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
success, then this presents an opportunity to promote destinations through Croatian<br />
film, which in turn can have a positive impact on Croatian film in general; of course,<br />
assuming that future Croatian films will continue to be of high-quality and that they will<br />
continue succeeding internationally.<br />
Table 2 Respondents’ level of agreement: MEAN VALUES — film professionals<br />
(Note: 1 — completely disagree, 2 — mostly disagree, 3 — neither agree nor disagree,<br />
4 — mostly agree, 5 — completely agree)<br />
In the recent few years Croatia has produced high-quality films<br />
that have achieved international success<br />
Overall mean 3,57<br />
Type of respondents HDFD 3,54<br />
Others 3,59<br />
The case of HAVC Before 3,59<br />
After 3,51<br />
Sex Male 3,42<br />
Female 3,77<br />
Age 18-35 3,66<br />
36-45 3,66<br />
46+ 3,42<br />
Education BA/BS degree or lower 3,47<br />
MA/MS degree or higher 3,61<br />
Finally, when it comes to the promotion of destinations, specifically the<br />
contribution of foreign or Croatian films shot in Croatia to Croatian tourism and the<br />
general impression of Croatia, the film experts surveyed through in-depth interviews<br />
broadly agree that films do contribute in these ways. More specifically, a large number<br />
of experts agree that foreign films greatly contribute to Croatian tourism and to the<br />
general impression of Croatia, whereas although Croatian films do contribute as well,<br />
this contribution is very small or non-existent compared to foreign films. One of the<br />
experts noted that this is due to the fact that Croatian films are mostly seen by festival<br />
audiences. Conversely, several experts stated that both Croatian and foreign films<br />
contribute to tourism and to the general impression of Croatia. However, it is important<br />
to note that one of the experts remarked that not enough foreign films are being shot<br />
in Croatia, implying that he estimates the impact to be ambiguous, which also points<br />
to room for improvement.<br />
The polled film industry professionals surveyed by the online survey expressed a<br />
somewhat weaker agreement with the statement that Croatian feature films have a<br />
positive impact on the general impression of Croatia (the general impression of Croatia<br />
among foreigners abroad), which is seen from the mean value related to this statement<br />
(3.48), and which would mean that they neither agree nor disagree with the statement,<br />
with only a slight tendency to mostly agree. Nevertheless, combining the shares of<br />
respondents who agree completely or mostly, it is evident that more than half of the<br />
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I. MaloËa, O. Ramljak, P. VraneπeviÊ: Promoting Destinations through Film...<br />
Figure 4 Respondents’ level of agreement with the statement (in %) — film professionals<br />
Figure 5 Contribution of foreign and Croatian films shot in Croatia to tourism and<br />
the general impression of Croatia<br />
Figure 6 Respondents’ level of agreement with the statement (in %) — film professionals<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
interviewed film industry professionals still agree with the statement to some extent<br />
(mostly or completely); that is, the proportion of respondents who agree with the<br />
statement to some extent is 54.6%. This is seen in Figure 6, while the mean value is<br />
shown in Table 3.<br />
Table 3 Respondents’ level of agreement with the statement: Mean Values — film professionals<br />
(Note: 1 — completely disagree, 2 — mostly disagree, 3 — neither agree nor disagree,<br />
4 — mostly agree, 5 — completely agree)<br />
Croatian feature films have a positive impact on the general impression of Croatia<br />
(the general impression of Croatia among foreigners — abroad)<br />
Overall mean 3,48<br />
Type of respondents HDFD 3,53<br />
Others 3,45<br />
The case of HAVC Before 3,44<br />
After 3,59<br />
Sex Male 3,40<br />
Female 3,59<br />
Age 18-35 3,47<br />
36-45 3,55<br />
46+ 3,43<br />
Education BA/BS degree or lower 3,54<br />
MA/MS degree or higher 3,45<br />
The opinions of the general public are particularly interesting and indicative, and<br />
therefore useful, since it is the members of the public watching and following the films<br />
who are ultimately the ones who measure the film’s success. Public opinion is divided<br />
when it comes to the claim that Croatia has produced high-quality films that have<br />
achieved international success in recent years. The largest proportion of respondents<br />
neither agree nor disagree with this statement — 39.8%, followed by those who agree<br />
to a certain extent (mostly or completely) — 38.8%. However, there is a small<br />
proportion of respondents who disagree to some extent — 14.1% mostly disagree and<br />
only 7.5% completely disagree. This can nevertheless be seen as an indication that the<br />
general public believes that Croatian film and the state of Croatian cinema has recently<br />
improved. The implications and the significance of such opinions have already been<br />
discussed. The proportions can be seen in Figure 7.<br />
As for the statement that Croatian films can promote the country as a tourist<br />
destination and help the general impression of Croatia, the vast majority of the<br />
surveyed general public agree with it. More precisely, as much as 73.3% of the<br />
respondents agree with it to some extent (mostly or completely), which indeed is a<br />
very large proportion. Moreover, given the proportion of the respondents who neither<br />
agree nor disagree with it, which is 18.7%, there remains but a small proportion of<br />
those who disagree with the statement to some extent (mostly or completely), namely<br />
only 8.0% of the respondents. This is ultimately indicated by the high mean value<br />
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I. MaloËa, O. Ramljak, P. VraneπeviÊ: Promoting Destinations through Film...<br />
Figure 7 Agreement with the statement: “In the recent few years Croatia has produced high-quality<br />
films that have achieved international success” — general public<br />
Figure 8 Agreement with the statement: “Croatian films can promote the country as a tourist<br />
destination and help the general impression of Croatia” — general public<br />
Figure 9 Agreement with the statement: “Croatian films exploit attractive domestic shooting locations<br />
effectively enough.” (Plitvice Lakes National Park, Dubrovnik, Kornati Islands etc.)" — general public<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
regarding this statement (3.99), which can be seen in Table 4; while the proportions<br />
can be seen in Figure 8. It is, therefore, obvious that the general public believes that<br />
Croatian films can promote Croatia as a tourist destination and help the general<br />
impression of the country. However, the question is how well they are actually doing<br />
it. According to the surveyed members of the public, that is, the general population,<br />
they do not seem to be doing it too well.<br />
To be precise, if we look at and combine the proportions of respondents who<br />
completely disagree or mostly disagree with the statement that Croatian films exploit<br />
attractive domestic shooting locations effectively enough (Plitvice Lakes National Park,<br />
Dubrovnik, Kornati Islands etc.), the share amounts to 38.3% and is higher than the<br />
total share of the respondents who agree with the statement to some extent (mostly or<br />
completely), which is 32.1%. Additionally, there remains a large proportion of<br />
respondents who neither agree nor disagree with the statement, 29.7% of them.<br />
Proportions can be seen in Figure 9. It can, therefore, be inferred that the general<br />
public does not actually believe that, generally speaking, attractive domestic sites are<br />
effectively exploited in Croatian films, and consequently no impact is being made on<br />
the touristic promotion of destinations or on Croatian cinema. Along with the results<br />
related to the previous statement, this leads to the conclusion that Croatian films<br />
certainly could and should make better use of attractive domestic sites, i.e. promote<br />
Croatia as a destination more effectively. (The mean values for all three statements can<br />
be seen in Table 4.)<br />
Table 4 Agreement with the statements: Mean Values — general public<br />
Croatian films can<br />
promote the country as a<br />
tourist destination and<br />
help the general<br />
impression of Croatia<br />
In the recent few years<br />
Croatia has produced<br />
high-quality films that<br />
have achieved<br />
international success<br />
Croatian films exploit<br />
attractive domestic<br />
shooting locations<br />
effectively enough<br />
(Plitvice Lakes National<br />
Park, Dubrovnik,<br />
Kornati Islands etc.)<br />
Overall mean 3,99 3,22 2,94<br />
Sex<br />
Age<br />
Male 3,91 3,12 2,85<br />
Female 4,05 3,30 3,03<br />
15-34 3,91 3,05 2,90<br />
35-54 3,96 3,13 2,65<br />
55 and older 4,07 3,43 3,23<br />
Education<br />
High school or lover 3,99 3,22 3,05<br />
University degree and similar 3,99 3,20 2,73<br />
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I. MaloËa, O. Ramljak, P. VraneπeviÊ: Promoting Destinations through Film...<br />
Number of household members<br />
3 or less 4,02 3,28 3,03<br />
4 or more 3,94 3,12 2,80<br />
Average personal monthly income<br />
No income 4,10 3,27 3,02<br />
700 EUR 3,92 3,04 2,70<br />
Do nit wish to ansver 3,95 3,17 2,95<br />
The results of all three researches, i.e. the presented results, mostly confirm all<br />
four auxiliary hypotheses. This also proves the central hypothesis of the paper.<br />
4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS<br />
The results of the research have confirmed the following auxiliary hypotheses and the<br />
central hypothesis of the work:<br />
H1: As a Mediterranean country with many attractive locations, Croatia has not<br />
been promoted sufficiently or successfully enough through Croatian film, and in this<br />
lies an enormous untapped potential that could help Croatian film make progress in<br />
commercial and in other ways and that could have positive effects on Croatian tourism<br />
as well.<br />
Auxiliary hypothesis #1: Foreign and Croatian films shot in Croatia contribute to<br />
tourism and the general impression of Croatia.<br />
Auxiliary hypothesis #2: Croatian films can promote the country as a tourist<br />
destination and help the general impression of Croatia.<br />
Auxiliary hypothesis #3: Croatian films do not exploit attractive domestic shooting<br />
locations effectively enough.<br />
Auxiliary hypothesis #4: Using marketing and marketing tools would increase the<br />
visibility of Croatian films as well as positively influence their perception and<br />
reception.<br />
The research results have confirmed that attractive Croatian sites and the country<br />
in general are not being promoted sufficiently or successfully enough through Croatian<br />
film, although they could be, as has been confirmed by the opinions of the surveyed<br />
members of the public. The role of film in the promotion and even branding of<br />
countries or destinations is extremely important and is becoming more prominent.<br />
Increasingly often, films and television series promote places and destinations, directly<br />
or indirectly, and there’s an increasing number of destinations that exploit the success<br />
of certain films and series for their own promotion and branding and also use them in<br />
creating their tourism product.<br />
In light of all this, there is indeed an enormous untapped potential in promoting<br />
attractive Croatian sites through film, especially if we take into account the<br />
attractiveness of the Mediterranean and Mediterranean locations as well as the overall<br />
Mediterranean lifestyle. Yet, there seems to be a notable lack of involvement on the<br />
87
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
part of the Croatian film industry, which still does not seem to make full use of<br />
attractive domestic sites, both those on the coast and in general. Still, there are some<br />
inspiring examples, such as Nevio MarasoviÊ’s film Vis-à-vis, which might not be that<br />
interesting narratively, but it stands out among similar films precisely because it utilises<br />
the setting of the remote and lonely island of Vis. He also plays with words in the film<br />
title in an efficient and effective way, arousing the interest of potential viewers, i.e.<br />
potential audiences and prompting more people to watch the film.<br />
This example should also be followed by other Croatian filmmakers. Of course,<br />
this is just one of the methods that can be taken as an example to promote Croatian<br />
Mediterranean destinations through Croatian film and the Croatian film industry. The<br />
films could also connect their narratives to the locations; the themes and the story could<br />
be closely related to these locations, authentically representing the local lifestyle and<br />
portraying the local dialects as well as emphasizing the beauty of the landscape. The<br />
films that are being made should faithfully represent life in these localities and promote<br />
destinations through the overall film quality, including the acting, plot and character<br />
development as well as the general audiovisual experience. The film needs be good in<br />
quality and successful in order to later attract potential visitors to the destination.<br />
Setting the story in attractive shooting locations would not only benefit the film itself<br />
but would make it more appealing visually and aesthetically.<br />
Additionally, the Croatian film industry could offer its attractive locations to foreign<br />
film production companies as film settings; Croatian production companies could<br />
provide help with logistics and organisation, as well as propose collaboration and a coproduction<br />
partnership, depending on the needs and circumstances. The Croatian film<br />
industry should undertake initiatives for tax incentives, grants or other kinds of<br />
financial support for film production, as was done in New Zealand, enabling them to<br />
attract numerous film production companies as a result (Croy, 2004) (Variety, <strong>2018</strong>). All<br />
of this obviously needs to be reinforced by efficient marketing and marketing<br />
campaigns in cooperation with the Croatian National Tourist Board and local tourist<br />
boards as well.<br />
In short, there is an abundance of opportunities for the promotion of Croatia and<br />
its attractive locations. This has indeed been proved by foreign film co-productions that<br />
have been shooting in Croatia over the past several years and that have attracted<br />
tourists as a result — this is the potential that Croatia yet needs to fully exploit.<br />
References<br />
10 Places Made Famous By Movies And TV Shows (2014), The Richest (accessed December 4,<br />
<strong>2018</strong>), <br />
Beeton, S. (2001) “Smiling for the Camera: The Influence of Film Audiences on a Budget Tourism<br />
Destination”. Tourism Culture and Communication, 3(1), p. 15-25.<br />
Busby, G. and Klug, J. (2001) “Movie Induced Tourism: The Challenge of Measurement and Other<br />
Issues”. Journal of Vacation Marketing, Vol. 7, Issue 4, p. 316-332.<br />
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I. MaloËa, O. Ramljak, P. VraneπeviÊ: Promoting Destinations through Film...<br />
Croy, W. G. (2004) The Lord of the Rings, New Zealand and Tourism: Image Building with Film<br />
(accessed December 4, <strong>2018</strong>), <br />
Evans, M. (1997) “Plugging into TV tourism”, Insights, Vol. 8, London: English Tourist Board,<br />
D35-D38.<br />
Gadd, M (2015), Boom in holidays to places made famous by TV and film with tourists flocking to<br />
locations for Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings, Sex and The City and... Broadchurch,<br />
Daily Mail, June 24 (accessed December 4, <strong>2018</strong>), <br />
Gartner, W. C. (2014) Brand equity in a tourism destination. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy,<br />
10(2), p. 108-116<br />
Infantado, A. (n.d.), 12 Fabulous Destinations Made Popular By Films (accessed December 4, <strong>2018</strong>),<br />
<br />
King´s Landing Dubrovnik n.d. (accessed December 4, <strong>2018</strong>),<br />
<br />
MaloËa, I. (2017) Marketing hrvatskoga dugometraænog igranog filma, doktorski rad, SveuËiliπte<br />
Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku, Ekonomski fakultet u Osijeku, Osijek.<br />
O’Connor, N., Flanagan, S. and Gilbert, D. (2010) “The Use of Film in Re-Imaging a Tourism<br />
Destination: A Case Study of Yorkshire, UK”, Journal of Vacation Marketing, Vol. 16, Issue 1,<br />
p. 61-74.<br />
Pike, S. & Page, S. J. (2014). “Destination marketing organizations and destination marketing: A<br />
narrative of the literature”. Tourism Management, 4, p. 202-227.<br />
Pinchefsky, C. (2012) The Impact (Economic and Otherwise) of Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit on<br />
New Zealand, Forbes, December 14 (accessed December 4, <strong>2018</strong>),<br />
<br />
Skoko, B., BrËiÊ, T. i GluvaËeviÊ, D. (2012) “Uloga igranog filma u brendiranju dræava, regija i<br />
gradova”, Meappleunarodne studije: »asopis za meappleunarodne odnose, vanjsku politiku i<br />
diplomaciju, god. 12, br. 3/4, 2012, Centar za meappleunarodne studije Hrvatske udruge za<br />
meappleunarodne studije, Zagreb, Visoka πkola meappleunarodnih odnosa i diplomacije Dag<br />
Hammarskjold, Zagreb, Euroavangarde d.o.o., Zagreb.<br />
Tuclea, C.-E., Nistoreanu, P. (2011) How film and television programs can promote tourism and<br />
increase the competitiveness of tourist destinations, Cactus Tourism Journal, Vol. 2, Issue 2<br />
(accessed December 4, <strong>2018</strong>) <br />
Variety (<strong>2018</strong>) New Zealand, Home to Multiple Big Franchises, Sweetens the Deal With 25% Cash<br />
Grant (accessed December 4, <strong>2018</strong>), <br />
89
Marta RA»I∆, Antonio SAMMARTINO<br />
POETRY AS A SIGNIFICANT IDENTITY<br />
MARKER OF MOLISE CROATS<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
The objective of this paper is to present the poetry of the Molise Croats that has been<br />
created during the process of the community’s revitalization, from the 1960s until today.<br />
The paper will explore the emergence of a poetry written in their unique idiom<br />
comprising of only slightly more than 6,700 words documented until now and published<br />
in five poetry books titled In Our Words (S naπimi riËi). Based on these poetry<br />
books and poem examples, the aim is to show how the language, as the principal identity<br />
marker, became a mediator for expressing emotions, states and the collective memory<br />
of Molise Croats. As an introduction, basic historical data about the community of<br />
Molise Croats, its origins and migrations will be presented.<br />
Molise Croats emigrated on various occasions during the fifteenth and sixteenth<br />
centuries to the wider area of the Italian south, today’s regions of Marche, Abruzzo,<br />
Puglia and Molise. They represent one of the oldest migrations in Croatian history. A<br />
push factor for their migration was the Turkish expansion into their native lands, between<br />
the rivers of Cetina and Neretva. Up until the beginning of the twentieth century,<br />
the Apennine hillsides populated by these Croats were an area of heavy communicative<br />
isolation, which played a significant role in the preservation of their language<br />
and traditional culture. Today, the population of Molise Croats doesn’t exceed 2,000<br />
people, and inhabitants remain in only three settlements of the Molise region: KruË in<br />
Croatian (Acquaviva Collecroce in Italian), FiliË (San Felice del Molise) and Mundimitar<br />
(Montemitro).<br />
Language as the principal identity marker of Molise Croats had a double function<br />
throughout history: distinctive from the outsiders and integrative for the insiders. It was<br />
a means of the minority’s integration but also of differentiation. The linguistic identity<br />
of Molise Croats was the basis for the recognition of this community in Italy as a historic<br />
linguistic minority, since language was the main characteristic of their ethnicity.<br />
Today, it is a contemporary community who actively demonstrates its cultural identity<br />
through different ways, one of which is poetry written in the dialect of Molise Croats,<br />
our speech (govor na-naπo).<br />
LANGUAGE AND IDENTITY<br />
When speaking about the language of Molise Croats, the language of the poetry presented<br />
in this paper, it is necessary to emphasize that we are talking about the Shtok-<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
avian Ikavian dialect of the Croatian language — an idiom and local way of speaking<br />
that was preserved over the course of five centuries and is still spoken in only three<br />
Croatian settlements of the Italian south. In this paper, instead of dialect, we sometimes<br />
use the term language, meaning a basic communication tool inside and outside the<br />
community, since this speech is still called language in the wider Italian context. Molise<br />
Croats themselves call it our language (naπ jezik) or they simply say “we are speaking<br />
in our language” (“mi govorimo na-naπo” or “na-naπu”).<br />
Being a Shtokavian dialect, the speech of Molise Croats uses the interrogatory pronoun<br />
πto for what, while preserving the Ikavian pronunciation in words like kolino,<br />
divojka, nevista, pivac, vitar 1 and others. Original features of this speech have been<br />
preserved in ascending and descending accents, while multisyllabic words have double<br />
or even triple accents: dòbrà, jèzìka, æènè. They say ært for wine, jetilica for sausage<br />
and teg for work 2 . The vocabulary for abstract terms is mostly Italian, while the<br />
vocabulary of agriculture and textile manufacturing has preserved the old terms from<br />
their native lands (Reπetar, 1907, p. 1113-1125). An overview of the terms retained in<br />
the speech of Molise Croats was systematically analyzed and presented in the publication<br />
entitled Scripta manent. In the book Sime do simena (Grain to Grain), we can find<br />
descriptions, drawings and vocabulary for farming and tools that were once used in<br />
cultivation of the land (zemblja). For working on the field or around it, we find verbs<br />
like orat (plough), sijat (plant), æet (harvest), vrπit (thresh), vozit (ride), as well as nouns<br />
like ralo/plugo (plough), jaram (yoke), bardatura do tovara (donkey harness), konop<br />
(cord), oglav (headstall), maπta (wooden bucket), snop (beam), srp (sickle) and many<br />
others (Sammartino, 2006).<br />
Following the rules of the Italian language, the neuter disappeared and was replaced<br />
by the masculine. In addition, Italian loanwords adapted to Croatian forms are<br />
used for new notions, such as tren (train), televizjona (television), globalidzacijuna<br />
(globalization). For some words, Italian and Croatian versions are still in parallel use:<br />
pisat or skrivat (to write), razumit or akapit (to understand), πala or jok (joke), zeleno<br />
or verdo (green), privìdan or lunedì (Monday), poËinit or ripozat (to rest). Since there<br />
are no Turkish loanwords in this language, original Italian and Croatian words are used,<br />
like dimica (cigarette), cukar (sugar), pamidor (tomato), patana (potato).<br />
In our study of the identity of Molise Croats, especially during fieldwork in the<br />
town of Mundimitar, through interviews and informal small talk with its population, a<br />
conclusion can be drawn that language is one of the most important factors of the identification<br />
process. Molise Croats have a highly developed consciousness of language,<br />
its importance and the role it played through history in the survival of the community<br />
and its cultural recognition within the Italian and wider European context.<br />
1 Croatian standard: koljeno (“knee”), djevojka (“girl”), nevjesta (“bride), pijetao (“rooster”), vjetar<br />
(“wind”).<br />
2 Croatian standard: vino, kobasica, rad.<br />
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M. RaËiÊ, A. Sammartino: Poetry as a Significant Identity Marker of Molise Croats<br />
Language is one of the most powerful identity markers of a person or the people.<br />
It represents a connection between the people speaking it; knowledge is transmitted<br />
by language, and one group recognizes itself as a community through it (BratuliÊ,<br />
2011). Language has a communicative function (interaction between people) and a<br />
manifest function, since culture, tradition and content representing a community’s identity<br />
are transmitted by language (GrbiÊ, 1998, pp. 183-185).<br />
A search for one’s identity is part of the modernization process that occurred at<br />
the end of the twentieth century and included basic questions such as Who are we?,<br />
What are we?, Where do we come from? Identity is not a matter of great interest while<br />
living naturally in traditional societies, when that lifestyle is “implied”. Identity is questioned<br />
only when the life of a community becomes vulnerable. This is happening in<br />
modern times, and identities are being directly damaged (De Benoist, 2014). It is important<br />
to say that each individual and every community can have different identities<br />
at the same time. Usually, we talk about ethnic and / or national, cultural, religious, social,<br />
regional or linguistic identities, the last one being the starting point of this paper.<br />
POETRY<br />
The dialect of Molise Croats, or as the speakers themselves call it na-naπo (“in our language”),<br />
has been transmitted for more than 500 years only as a spoken language. Generations<br />
of Croatians in the Molise region spoke and communicated in the dialect only<br />
at home and with their families. When an Italian woman would enter a Croatian<br />
home through marriage, she would eventually learn the language of the community.<br />
The danger for this dialect, culture and tradition began with the post-war industrialization<br />
process. After World War II, people left the Italian south and headed to cities looking<br />
for jobs. The community of Molise Croats, which had been pretty closed until then,<br />
began to decrease numerically. Some went to nearby cities, and many migrated to Canada,<br />
America, Australia, Germany or Austria.<br />
These processes directly jeopardized the survival of the language of this community,<br />
which had been integrated into Italian society but never fully assimilated. However,<br />
threats to the community sparked the interest of the Molise Croats regarding their<br />
language and culture, confirming the abovementioned thesis, claiming interest in one’s<br />
identity occurs when this identity is directly threatened (De Benoist, 2014).<br />
In 1967, in the village FiliË, Molise Croats founded a cultural society called Our<br />
Language (Naπ jezik/La nostra lingua) and launched a journal under the same name<br />
(Granic, 2009, p. 270). Encouraged by literary writers and artists from Zagreb, who had<br />
at that time already been involved in the Croatian Spring movement. They began organizing<br />
lectures and language courses, most notably courses in how to write the dialect<br />
they had preserved through the centuries only as a spoken language. This was the<br />
beginning of a process that can today be called a conscious effort to save their own<br />
identity.<br />
93
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
It was in this first journal that members of the community wrote their first poems<br />
— amateur poets who spontaneously began to open themselves to poetic expressions.<br />
The need to express emotions by writing poetry in their own dialect was present<br />
among the Molise youth, and some remained in the world of literature and education<br />
throughout the years, like Milena Lalli, Angelo Genova, Giovanni Battista Piccoli and<br />
Pasquale Piccoli. The publication of the journal Our Language was like releasing a genie<br />
from a bottle; it was no longer possible to hold back the intense emotions that created<br />
the poems. Residents of FiliË, KruË and Mundimitar started to write in the Molise<br />
Croatian dialect, expressing everything that had endured in the collective memory for<br />
years — everything related to common traditions, culture and origin had suddenly<br />
found its poetical form.<br />
The phenomenon of writing poetry in the Molise dialect has gained special momentum<br />
since 2002 when the Foundation Agostina Piccoli from Mundimitar established<br />
the Fondazione Piccoli Award for literary accomplishments thematically related to the<br />
language, tradition and history of Molise Croats. From 2002 onwards, an annual competition<br />
has been held and awards are presented to authors who write poetry and<br />
prose na-naπo (“in our language”) during a traditional literary night in Mundimitar under<br />
the name VeËera na-naπo (Night In Our Language). Following this competition, it<br />
has become a rule to publish a collection of poetry every three years. The first collection<br />
of poetry was published in 2004 under the title S naπimi riËi (In Our Words) and<br />
others followed under the same name in 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016. All five of these<br />
poetry collections are a testament of time, documenting a period when the Molise Croat<br />
community modernized and changed itself through the written word. It is the same<br />
community whose speech survived 500 years and then, when its survival was threatened<br />
in the twentieth century, started to write about itself in verses. These verses are<br />
written by the members of the community — masons, mechanics, professors, housewives,<br />
teachers, drivers, economists, students and lawyers — all of them with a desire<br />
to write, saying it is a wealth (rikeca) that was brought by their ancestors “from the other<br />
side of the sea” (z’one bane mora) (RaËiÊ, <strong>2018</strong>, p. 101).<br />
After analyzing the five poetry collections titled S naπimi riËi (In Our Words) published<br />
from 2004 onwards, we will present an overview of the four dominant themes,<br />
based on a qualitative research.<br />
1. The most common poems are about the language, about the na-naπo<br />
speech.<br />
These are poems about the dialect that kept the community together through history,<br />
and they carry a positive emotion about the language and about what brings the community<br />
together. Some of these poems can be recognized simply by reading the title:<br />
“Searching for a Word” — “IπËem riËu” (G. Blascetta), “Spoken Word” — “RiËa reËena”<br />
(R. Giorgetta), “Write” — “Piπ” (N. Pasciullo), “Sow the Word” — “Sijat riËe” (N. Glios-<br />
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M. RaËiÊ, A. Sammartino: Poetry as a Significant Identity Marker of Molise Croats<br />
ca), “Word” — “ReË” (G. Blascetta), “In Our Language” — “Na-naπu” and “More In Our<br />
Language” — “Joπ na-naπu” (N. Gliosca).<br />
In the poem “Searching for a Word” — “IπËem riËu”, the author is emotionally asking<br />
why the na-naπo language doesn’t have a word for love and continues to write:<br />
Tako se pitam pa nise razumija<br />
zaπto su ove Ëeljade tu riËu zabil 3<br />
The poet is searching for this word in nature and continues:<br />
»u ju prosit sundzu kada gre poËinit<br />
a ostane misto noË<br />
»u prosit zdvizdu kada kratko pade<br />
e rasvitli nebo<br />
»u hi prosit vitru kada bada πuπnja<br />
e ziblje svit 4 .<br />
In the poem “Na-naπu” (“In Our Language”) the poet talks nostalgically about the<br />
language and about the disappearing dialect that was once spoken by children but is<br />
no longer the case today. In his second poem “Joπ na-naπu” (“More in Our Language”),<br />
N. Gliosca continues nostalgically about the times when only the dialect was spoken<br />
and when the question Where are you going? wasn’t said in Italian, Dove va?, but in<br />
the dialect, “Di si poπa?”.<br />
NA-NA©U<br />
Je si ga poπa vrime do jene vote,<br />
kada jiskodahu vana na kjacu<br />
a tuna mi gorivahu na-naπu “di greπ?”<br />
Oni mbladi aπ oni stari,<br />
oni bogati aπ oni briæni,<br />
oni ka umaπa lejit aπ pisat,<br />
aπ oni ka ne umaπa.<br />
Sa su ostal mala, one ka ti govoraju joπ:<br />
“di si poπa?”<br />
Two young contemporary poets are also writing about their language: students Gianluca<br />
Miletti and Marco Blascetta. In his poem “Nove riËi” (“New Words”), Miletti is<br />
humorously opposing the modern Italian language, which is full of loan words (especially<br />
Anglicisms) and the traditional dialect, representing not only a language but a<br />
complete lifestyle that has disappeared. Once the children listened to the stories of their<br />
grandfather (taton), today they are watching cartoons.<br />
3 I wonder, and I don't understand, why have the people forgotten this word.<br />
4 I will ask the sun when it goes to sleep, I will ask the star when it falls and brightens up the<br />
sky, I will ask the wind when it moves the leaves and swings the world.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
One veËe male gledaju CARTOON<br />
Pri se sluπaπe taton<br />
The poem “»uda” (“A Lot of”), by Marco Blascetta, is raising the question of linguistic<br />
identity through a play on words. He is a young man who learned two Croatian<br />
dialects in his family — the Molise and the GradiπÊe dialects, and he is writing<br />
about misunderstandings caused by the different interpretations of the same word in<br />
these two dialects as well as in the Croatian standard.<br />
»UDA<br />
Ma kak “Si vrga Ëuda”?<br />
©to je preveË?<br />
Luk, Ëipula ol Ëesan...<br />
©to je Ëa se ne rikordam...<br />
Premalo? »uda malo?<br />
Boh...<br />
Na-naπo,<br />
GradiπÊanski,<br />
Hrvatski:<br />
Ja ne akapim niπËe veË!!<br />
2. The second most common poems are about place of birth,<br />
the street or a special place from childhood or youth.<br />
These poems mention locations like dolac, selo, dubrave (valley, village, forest). Some<br />
of the poem titles are “Moj grad iz moje funeπtre” (“My City from My Window”), “U<br />
Mundimitar” (“In Mundimitar”), “Naπ lito” (“Our Summer”), “Moja rikeca” (“My Wealth”)<br />
or “Jena briæna duπa” (“One Poor Soul”). The last poem talks about fundzumela, an old<br />
fountain that represent the soul of Mundimitar city. This group of poems express the<br />
poets’ memories of their childhood, birthplace, home and family. This frequent emotion<br />
is expressed in the poem “Moj grad iz moje funeπtre” (“My City from My Window”)<br />
by Rosetta Petrella:<br />
... ke, tvorim funeπtru,<br />
e, iz Palate, vidim moj grad: FiliË.<br />
Tvorim ovu funeπtru<br />
e imam u ruke album do fotografij;<br />
vidim moj grad<br />
... Mi se zatvori srce<br />
ajerke vidim oca ke zga gre<br />
u mine do Beldæa ol u fabrik tudisk.<br />
E pa gledam sve one hiæice<br />
skupjene okolo kambanara<br />
mi sembra jena mali presepj;<br />
vidim crikuu ke dol gleda mor<br />
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M. RaËiÊ, A. Sammartino: Poetry as a Significant Identity Marker of Molise Croats<br />
e velke brda gor.<br />
Vidim hiæu di se nikla,<br />
je nako bila oπ lipa,<br />
di prodjahu moje lita dop skole<br />
e teËem niz one ruvice<br />
e Ëujem mrluπ do kruha<br />
koko izneπen do peËa,<br />
vidim marelu ke ga misi... 5<br />
3. Poems mentioning nature and natural phenomena.<br />
Natural phenomena presented in the poetry of Molise Croats are most commonly rain<br />
(daæ), wind (vitar), sun (sundze), air (ajar), cherries (Ëriπnje), land — soil (zemblja) and<br />
are always metaphorically used as an expression of the soul or certain emotions. Some<br />
of these poems are titled “»akat Ëak” (“Cracked Nut”), “Ajar” (“Air”), “»riπnje” (“Cherries”),<br />
“Zdola zemblje” (“Under the Soil”), “Jena cvitje” (“One Flower”), “Velki vrπalj”<br />
(“Big Beam”), “Bodlja” (“Thorn”). Frequently in these poems we can find a melancholy<br />
for old times, a sadness for the people whose departure means the disappearance of<br />
the language, which is a strong identifying factor for all the members of the Molise Croats<br />
community.<br />
BODLJA<br />
Oblake crne na nebo,<br />
Ëeljade po svito,<br />
vrane po grado.<br />
Zvonu zvona,<br />
ma nije feπta,<br />
druga duπa je nas ostala.<br />
Umiru Ëeljade,<br />
umire naπ jezik,<br />
bodlja na srce. 6<br />
4. Poems dedicated to a memory of a certain dear person — mother, father,<br />
grandfather or grandmother.<br />
In these poems we can frequently find memories of the hard life parents led, of their<br />
work in the field, of the poverty and sacrifices they made for their children and fami-<br />
5 ... when I open a window from Palata I see my town FiliË. I open a window, I open a photo<br />
album; I see my town... My heart breaks when I see my father going to the mines in Belgium<br />
or to a factory in Germany. I watch all these houses, gathered around the bell tower, like<br />
in a nativity scene: I see the church looking down at the sea and up to the big mountains. I<br />
see the house where I was born, beautiful and white, where I spent my summers after school,<br />
all those trails where I ran, I smell freshly baked bread, I see my grandmother making it...<br />
6 Here, bodlja (thorn) represents the pain we feel when one soul “dies”, our language departing<br />
at the same time.<br />
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ly. Poems are full of nostalgia, love and respect for these people. Some of the published<br />
titles are “Povidaj stari” (“Talk old Man”), “»e se vrnit” (“She will Return”), “Lipa”<br />
(“Beautiful”), “Ova mat” (“This Mother”), “Sutra je drugi dan” (“Tomorrow is a New<br />
Day”), “Tvoje oË, jena putiË” (“Your Eyes”).<br />
SUTRA JE DRUGI DAN<br />
Je otac mi ke ne poznaje maj dan.<br />
Jutrim je zgoro pri ke sundze nikni.<br />
Se vidu joπ muËkapele<br />
ke se bocaju zgora cvitji.<br />
Nam govore: “Dica! Vre, vre, ke je kasno!<br />
»uda stvari jesu za Ëinit.”<br />
Kano jena muja rabi, ma bjamu mu ne daju.<br />
Kruh si ponese ke vrime mu ne donese.<br />
Boæi, biæi, zgoro zdolo.<br />
Je se steplija, pot mu pada ma vino ga friπkiva.<br />
“Oto je, kaliva sundze. Ovo joπ nise funija!<br />
Dobro,<br />
sutra je drugi dan...” 7<br />
MUNDIMITAR — THE CITY OF POETS<br />
Mundimitar is one of the three settlements in the Molise region where it is still possible<br />
to hear the dialect of the Croatian language, today recognized as croato molisano<br />
or the speech of the Molise Croats. The population is constantly declining in Mundimitar,<br />
with less than 400 people living there today. Young people are leaving and the elementary<br />
school closed down two years ago. It has become a place of silence with<br />
more and more empty houses. Mundimitar is alive only during the summer. Although<br />
it is not a coastal town, its scattered people return and gather for the summer festivals,<br />
trying to, at least for that occasion, pay respect to the factor that had kept them together<br />
through centuries — the word, the language, the na-naπo speech.<br />
For eighteen years, the Agostina Piccoli Foundation has been organizing a literary<br />
competition called Piccoli Award aimed at preserving and nurturing the language and<br />
heritage of the minority. So far, the Foundation has published five collections of poetry<br />
and literary achievements, poems and prose texts that have either won the award or<br />
entered the shortlist. Around thirty literary works are collected in each publication. It<br />
should be noted that there are more than fifty poets in the local community. All these<br />
facts led to the decision to name the town of Mundimitar the “City of Poets”. Plaques<br />
7 My father doesn’t know the day, he gets up before the sunrise, when fireflies are still flying<br />
over flowers. The poem continues with a faithful description of a father working a whole day<br />
on the field, sweating, without completing his job and finishing every day with the words sutra<br />
je novi dan (“tomorrow is a new day”), when his hard work and suffering continue.<br />
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M. RaËiÊ, A. Sammartino: Poetry as a Significant Identity Marker of Molise Croats<br />
were fixed on certain locations in the city with selected verses from the award-winning<br />
works.<br />
Additionally, in the last twenty to thirty years, Mundimitar has undergone an intensive<br />
revival of many traditions, raising awareness of minority identity and showing<br />
an interest in anything related to the language, customs and history of the Molise Croats<br />
community. In 2010, a group of young musicians founded an ethnic music group<br />
called Kroatarantata, with a clear purpose of nurturing the Croatian spoken word, accompanied<br />
by the traditional folk music of the Italian south. The idea emerged from a<br />
natural need for connecting the values of the two different cultures that these young<br />
people belong to. The founder of the group had a specific goal, to link two different<br />
elements of two different cultures: the community’s language of origin and the local<br />
folklore music. The group Kroatarantata performs traditional songs of the Molise Croats<br />
in their dialect, such as “Lipa Mara”, “Kako je lipo hodit”, “Lipa divojka rodna”, “Divojkica<br />
kad cvitje si brala”, accompanied by music and in the rhythm of Italian pizzica.<br />
In this way, the young people of the community are manifesting the identities of<br />
the cultures that mark them, either in a historical or a contemporary context.<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
We can conclude that the poetry of Molise Croats today represents a significant determinant<br />
of their identity and appeared as a form of artistic expression in the late 1960s.<br />
From that time on, their identity and survival of the minority have been threatened by<br />
emigration and the modern way of life. The community has transformed from traditional<br />
to contemporary; it is adapting to new conditions to preserve the essential cultural<br />
features of its identity, particularly nurturing their language. However, the function of<br />
the community’s language or dialect has changed over time. Its function used to be<br />
merely communicative — the dialect was spoken in every family, and it was the only<br />
way of communication. Today, the language has a more manifest function. It is decreasingly<br />
used in everyday speech, mostly by older generations, while young people<br />
use it significantly less or not at all. However, they all seek to preserve the language in<br />
a form of artistic expression, and they are accomplishing this by writing poetry, organizing<br />
literary competitions or literary and musical evenings. At the heart of all these<br />
events is a na-naπo (in our language) poem that can be written, read or sung. They are<br />
sending a message to the outside world: we are still here, these are “our words” (naπe<br />
riËe) and we use them to write poems, to not forget who we are, what we are and<br />
where we came from. They have succeeded in doing so, because “the outsiders”,<br />
meaning the Italians who live in their surroundings, are now noticing them, not only<br />
because of their “incomprehensible” language, but because of their accomplishments<br />
in that language. “The others” now see them differently, not only because of the language,<br />
but because of all the cultural content created in that language. It can be said<br />
that the identity of Molise Croats has experienced transformation, confirming that it is<br />
real and constant in its dynamics.<br />
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References<br />
BratuliÊ, J. (2011). O hrvatskom identitetu, neposredno. In R. Horvat, Z. LukiÊ, B. Skoko & L.<br />
VukuπiÊ, Hrvatski identitet: Zagreb (9-24). Matica hrvatska.<br />
De Benoist, A. ( 2014). ©to je to identitet? Mi i drugi. Zagreb: Vijenac, 526/5: (15). Available at<br />
http://www.matica.hr/vijenac/526/<br />
Granic, S. (2009). From the Other Side of the Ocean: Canada’s Boæidar Vidov and the Molise Croats<br />
of Italy. Migracijske i etniËke teme, 25/3: (263-287). Available at https://www.mundimitar.it<br />
GrbiÊ, J. (1998). Jezik i govor kao komponente pripadnosti zajednici. (Ogled o jeziku i identitetu).<br />
In R. »iËak-Chandi & J. Kumpes, EtniËnost, nacija, identitet. Hrvatska i Europa. Zagreb: Institut<br />
za migracije i narodnosti, Naklada Jesenski i Turk, Hrvatsko socioloπko druπtvo (181-189).<br />
RaËiÊ, M. (<strong>2018</strong>). Revitalisation of Molise Croatian Identity. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation),<br />
Faculty of Philosophy, Zagreb.<br />
Reπetar, M. (1907). Slavenske kolonije u Italiji. Dubrovnik: Srapple, 6/ 24: (1105-1127).<br />
Sammartino, A. (Ed.), (2006). Sime do simena. Montemitro: Fondazione “Agostina Piccoli”.<br />
Sammartino, A. (Ed.), (2004). (2007), (2010), (2013), (2016). S naπimi riËi. Zbirke literarnih<br />
ostvarenja na moliπkohrvatskome. Montemitro: Fondazione “Agostina Piccoli”.<br />
100
Ozana RAMLJAK, Neven HITREC, Miranda HERCEG<br />
NOTHING BUT SPLIT<br />
Literature, Film and Design as<br />
Constructive Elements of a City’s Cultural Identity<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
A city as a structure woven out of historical, spatial, socioeconomic and cultural elements<br />
constructs its own identity through their constant intertwining. With the passage<br />
of time, these constantly created and recreated elements, time and time again, are inscribing<br />
history into daily life and shaping a city as a space with a recognizable identity.<br />
A city’s identity is created in the interim space between stability and instability,<br />
leaned on an institutional politics as well as on individual achievements, shaped as a<br />
fine fabric of personal and collective memory and it is an evidence of existence and<br />
the essence of a city. The identity of a city leans on the identity of its citizens, and the<br />
citizens are formed by the city as a “place” and as a “space” (BenËiÊ, 2006, 181-182,<br />
Jorgensen and Stedmann, 2001, 233-248, Entrikin, 1991). It is constructed within the<br />
strong influence of human needs, desires and values. Exceptional individuals leave<br />
their mark on the face and soul of an urban structure.<br />
Will increasing globalization make specific city’s identity more or less important is<br />
the question that has many possible answers. Some theorists like "Manuel Castells<br />
(1997), David Harvey (1989) and Richard Sennett (1999), argue that globalization has<br />
resulted in stronger identification with place” 1 , while others, like “Ulrich Beck (1992),<br />
Anthony Giddens (1996), Scott Lash and John Urry (1994)… maintain that one of the<br />
consequences of increased globalization is that dependency on a specific place decreases<br />
and that individuals instead gain access to many different places.” 2<br />
When looking at cities and their identities, special attention should be dedicated<br />
to cultural identity, spiritual and material cultural heritage as well as contemporary cultural<br />
forms.<br />
“Culture is broadly recognized as a key element in strategies for urban and regional<br />
development. The presence and quality of cultural activities is a major factor of attractiveness<br />
of a city and a measure of quality of living. Cultural heritage is a key ele-<br />
1 Nylund, K., Place and cultural identity in the segregated city, The Finnish Journal of Urban<br />
Studies [2000] vol.38:3, 8-27, available at http://www.yss.fi/Nylund.pdf (visited on 1 st November<br />
<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
2 Ibid.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
ment of the image and identity of cities and regions and the main focus of city tourism.”<br />
3<br />
Within the borders of the Mediterranean, specific multiculturalism has been established<br />
through creation, conflict and interaction of Mediterranean cultures; the Mediterranean<br />
spirit of Split is especially recognizable in the area of culture. This paper focuses<br />
on some of its elements: literature as the metonymic area of personal, cultural<br />
and mediated memory, a space of reminiscence and oblivion, a space that writes the<br />
story of the city while at the same time is written by it; film, through a study showing<br />
to what extent the pioneers of Croatian film, a strong cinema club scene, influential<br />
film authors and their opuses, impressive documentary and experimental films have remained<br />
in the collective consciousness of the city; and finally, design with a focus on<br />
researching the role of visual communications, urban equipment, institutional and noninstitutional<br />
design in the creation of the city’s identity. Research will concentrate on<br />
the following key cultural figures: writer Marko UvodiÊ in literature, three respectable<br />
film authors, Karaman, Martinac and Poljak in film and the Mediterranean Games in<br />
design area.<br />
2. LITERATURE, FILM AND DESIGN AS<br />
CONSTRUCTIVE ELEMENTS OF SPLIT’S CULTURAL IDENTITY<br />
The identity of a city is built over time, from fragments. It resembles a puzzle, built<br />
from the stones that remain from the sea. It is built from the ruins of the empires that<br />
once ruled the world and today are just a part of the tourist offer.<br />
Split has grown amid the ancient monuments of urban planning and architecture<br />
and the Mediterranean cultural atmosphere.<br />
Layers of culture are woven through Split and have created the city’s identity<br />
throughout its long history. Each new historical period brought with it new experiences<br />
and values. In the same way, creative professions in their work process use context<br />
and existing cultural elements as inspiration and material for creating something<br />
new. If the process leads to modernity by emancipating the inherited tradition without<br />
nostalgia, we can talk about progress too. Along with Split’s culture, history, tourism<br />
and geographical position on the Adriatic coast, sport is one of the most important determinants<br />
of the city.<br />
Although Split is a small Mediterranean city, from the viewpoint of its citizens, it<br />
stands as an impressive heritage and present city structure. “Nima Splita do Splita”<br />
(Nothing but Split) is the title of a short story written by Marko UvodiÊ in the first half<br />
of the twentieth century and is also the title of a very popular song in the 1970s, and<br />
it perfectly describes the self-perception of Split's values.<br />
3 Culture for Cities and Regions, available at http://www.cultureforcitiesandregions.eu/culture/<br />
project (visited on 1 st November <strong>2018</strong>)<br />
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O. Ramljak, N. Hitrec, M. Herceg: Nothing but Split<br />
2.1. Split and literature<br />
Literature as the metonymic area of personal, cultural, individual and mediated memory<br />
4 — a space of reminiscence and oblivion, a space of escape and return, a space of<br />
nostalgia, citations and stories — is a space that writes the story of a city, while it is at<br />
the same time written by it.<br />
When it comes to the relation between the city and literature, two possibilities are<br />
offered: storytelling about the city, which presents a picture of the social life of an architecturally<br />
confined space; and storytelling of the city, in which the reader mediates<br />
the city’s atmosphere, an invisible feeling of the world that is connecting its citizens,<br />
their sense of self and their city, which is a relatively rare occurrence in literature (Karahasan,<br />
2008). The author acts as a figure of creation and relation toward content, the<br />
writing process, readers and cities. “Writer and a city, they have almost a special status”,<br />
writes Mirko KovaË 5 and continues, “one can hardly find a poet who hasn’t struggle<br />
with city as a theme or who hasn’t written about its secrets, making it immortal or<br />
trying to deconstruct its myths.” 6<br />
“The city of Split can be proud of the fact that ever since its early history and earliest<br />
memories, it has served as a very eloquent literary quote. It has been remembered<br />
as a big riddle, but also as a big historical joke, as a palimpsest, ‘a temple of memories’,<br />
the city of books and the book-city or ‘city-by-accident’, with an inexhaustible local<br />
character visible in local idioms such as, ‘London is nothing compared to Split’ (»a<br />
je pusta Londra), ‘Money can’t buy it all’ (Tko to moæe platit) or more recently, ‘Nothing<br />
against Split’ (Niπta kontra Splita)” (BoπkoviÊ, 2011, p. 356).<br />
It is important to transform the question What is a city? into Who is a city?, because<br />
it is the only way to talk about a city’s identity, where in its complexity of events,<br />
experiences and semantic networks an individual or group identity is formed (BoπkoviÊ,<br />
2011, pp. 342-343).<br />
An author who definitely is a city is Marko UvodiÊ SpliÊanin — Marko UvodiÊ<br />
from Split 7 (1877-1947), as one of of Split’s legends, a journalist and writer who left a<br />
mark on the city that is visible even today since it is deeply embedded in the essence<br />
4 More about the term mediated memory in Ramljak, O. and K. JurËeviÊ, In Search of Lost Island:<br />
Literature of Mediated Memory in JurËeviÊ, Kaliterna LipovËan, Ramljak (eds.). Imagining<br />
Mediterranean: Challenges and Perspectives. Mediterranean Issues, Book I. Zagreb: Ivo Pilar/Vern'/HAZU/EMAN,<br />
2017, 73-85; more about the concept of memory and literature in Lachmann,<br />
R., Memory and Literature: Intertextuality in Russian Modernism, (translated by Roy Sellars<br />
and Anthoy Wall). Minneapolis: University Of Minnesota Press, 1997.<br />
5 Mirko KovaË, Writer and the City on http://sveske.ba/en/content/pisac-i-gradhttp://sveske.ba/en/content/pisac-i-grad<br />
(visited on 12 th November <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
6 Ibid.<br />
7 Marko UvodiÊ added to his name SpliÊanin (from Split) modeled after “the father of Croatian<br />
literature“ Marko MaruliÊ SpliÊanin.<br />
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of Split. Evan today, everything that represent literary spirit of Split is inspired by Marko<br />
UvodiÊ.<br />
He is the author of short stories written in the Split Chakavian dialect, collected in<br />
the book Spliska govorenja oliti libar Marka UvodiÊa SpliÊanina — Split’s talks or the<br />
book of Marko UvodiÊ from Split (1919) and in two collections of novellas titled Libar<br />
Marka UvodiÊa SpliÊanina — The Book of Marko UvodiÊ from Split (1940) and Drugi<br />
libar Marka UvodiÊa SpliÊanina — The Second Book of Marko UvodiÊ from Split. He<br />
also wrote numerous plays.<br />
In his chronicles and other literary works, he was dedicated to the principle “Everything<br />
that I’m going to tell you really happened; it is nothing but the truth. Because<br />
if it were not the truth, it would be worthless and mean nothing!” 8 . His stories are a<br />
sincere tribute to the “little”, ordinary people of Split; his characters are very typical and<br />
drown with lot of love, humor and misery. His chronicles about Split are inevitably historical<br />
texts, and his language is ancient, appealing dialect of the time. His characters<br />
are not trying to be likable. They innocently say, “If your husband doesn’t beat you, it<br />
means he isn’t doing you any good.”; “If, God help us, someone dies today, we’ll earn<br />
some money.”; “I’m not that lucky to hear about someone’s misery.” And this is exactly<br />
why they are appealing — they are not fake. The characters from his books say,<br />
“We’re not just for one day” and “What are we in this world?” These sentences remain<br />
ingrained in the city’s memory as its heritage.<br />
The language of his novels is an important part of Split’s identity. He writes in a<br />
specific urban Dalmatian Chakavian dialect that contains the entire philosophy of life<br />
in the sunny Mediterranean. As Marko UvodiÊ wrote in a letter to his friend, “When it<br />
comes to the Split dialect, a person can talk all day without getting tired. The speaking<br />
process usually intensely engages the use of the tongue, lips, facial muscles and<br />
throat. All of this is avoided in the Split dialect, and speaking occurs without moving<br />
everything into motion. If this is taken into consideration, then the dialect simply comes<br />
from itself, it is created out of laziness.” That language, changed semantically, morphologically,<br />
lexically and in many details, has a persistence in its essence and is still not<br />
just a structure of words but primarily an attitude and existence itself.<br />
By candidly displaying Split's mentality, specific language and cruel humor, Marko<br />
UvodiÊ from Split influenced not only Split's literature but its popular culture in the second<br />
half of the twentieth century as well.<br />
2.2. Split and film<br />
Reflections on film and the city are based on three authors from Split. All three authors,<br />
in their own time periods, left a mark on the city with their creative perspectives and<br />
8 All quotes are translated for the purpose of this paper from the books of novels UvodiÊ Spli-<br />
Êanin, M. (?) Libar Marka UvodiÊa SpliÊanina. Zagreb: Binoza Nakladni zavod Zagreb and UvodiÊ<br />
SpliÊanin, M. (2002). Drugi libar Marka UvodiÊa SpliÊanina. Split: Marjan tisak.<br />
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O. Ramljak, N. Hitrec, M. Herceg: Nothing but Split<br />
technical possibilities, most often by using pioneering and alternative, rather than mainstream<br />
routes.<br />
A historian from Split named Duπko KeËkemet was the first to save and bring back<br />
to life the works of another significant citizen of Split, Josip Bepo Karaman (1854—<br />
1921). KeËkemet was searching for the beginnings of filmmaking in Dalmatia, and he<br />
found small parts of a film role at one family’s home in Split that the children had cut<br />
off to use for a children’s projector. Thanks to this finding, some of the first movies<br />
filmed by a Croat from Dalmatia were saved. Karaman was an entrepreneur and a patriot.<br />
He was the owner of a paper store in which prominent persons from Split met<br />
and made plans against Austria for an independent Croatian state. Above all, Karaman<br />
was a man who intuitively realized that film was an opportunity for a new way of communication<br />
and expression, and not only a way of making money. As ©krabalo (1984)<br />
noticed, Karaman understood film not only as entertainment but also as a new media<br />
that instructs “us to take the camera in our own hands” (p. 27).<br />
Karaman bought a house in Marmont Street and in 1907 opened Split’s first cinema<br />
in his home, called Elektro Bioskop. The cinema had a large number of visitors<br />
“since entertainment is pleasant and inexpensive” (KeËkemet, 1969, p. 94). The cinema<br />
still exists today at the same location, after 111 years, and is called Karaman Cinema.<br />
But Karaman did not stop there. His creativity led him to buy film-making equipment,<br />
and he started shooting films. After developing film materials in Peπta, he would release<br />
them in his cinema. These extremely valuable cultural and historical film documents<br />
portray public events. Thus, by the choice of his film motifs, Karaman expressed<br />
his political and personal worldviews. During that time, there was a struggle for creating<br />
a Croatian national identity in Split and in all of Dalmatia, opposing the pro-Italian<br />
autonomist parties and Vienna's restrictive censorship policy of melting small nations<br />
into one great Austro-Hungarian empire. Karaman was the first to introduce intertitles<br />
in Croatian into his cinema program (the other Split cinema called Edison had a pro-<br />
Italian program) and filmed local patriotic movies such as Sokolski slet u Splitu and<br />
Sprovod splitskog naËelnika Vicka MihaljeviÊa and his most famous preserved film Procesija<br />
svetog Duje.<br />
Karaman changed the position of the camera only twice during the movie while<br />
recording the passing procession in memory of a Salonitan bishop executed for the persecution<br />
of Christians at the time of the Diocletian Emperor. Karaman filmed children<br />
receiving their first Communion, city dignitaries, children from the Split orphanage,<br />
members of the church fraternity in tunics with candleholders and flags, professors, the<br />
city orchestra and its conductor, high school students and firefighters, the bishop with<br />
the silver bust of St. Dujam, national masses and, finally, Karaman himself comes in<br />
front of the camera with a big smile, looking straight into it.<br />
As Karaman’s complete opposite stands Ivan Martinac (1938—2005), the most important<br />
representative of the Split Film School — a pioneer of modernism in Croatian<br />
experimental film, a pure existentialist film maker. Thanks to his work, Kino-klub Split<br />
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and its film authors in the 1960s had exceptional results, and film production was at its<br />
peak, helping Split become “the most filmed city in the world” (BenËiÊ, NenadiÊ, and<br />
PerojeviÊ, 2012, p. 52), as they used to say.<br />
The passion with which Martinac spent his whole life describing Split and its citizens<br />
in his movies is exceptional. The old Split city center, the marine environment and<br />
the city as a whole were a kind of film lab for him. Over the decades, he glanced at<br />
each worn stone on the streets of Split, every staircase and column in the Peristyle and<br />
catacombs of Diocletian's Palace and with a permanent sea motif as a reminder of the<br />
existence of something greater and more permanent.<br />
In his films, the Mediterranean represents a kind of eternal backdrop where temporariness<br />
pulsates. The characters in his movies are always suffering, and the city is<br />
at various stages of dignified decay. It is a city-ruin, with antique and Christian layers<br />
and ancient traces of human presence that are of course transient, but in the eyes of a<br />
lucid observer, they are also revealing. It is a narrow track for the chosen ones who,<br />
while looking closely at the visible, gradually gain an awareness of the other, the transcendent,<br />
the mystical.<br />
Known for his rigorous approach to film and theory that a film is a living organism<br />
(whose brain is the editing process that is performed in a highly precise and<br />
“square” way), Martinac, strictly adhering to his creative, human and philosophical<br />
principles, left Split a unique opus that deeply reflects human existence in the incredible<br />
film scenes of the city and the Mediterranean.<br />
His films often have a meditative, seemingly relaxing atmosphere portraying his<br />
friends walking along the Split Riva (seafront) or drinking wine, eating sardines, playing<br />
cards and swimming on a hot summer day beneath Marjan Hill. He captured the<br />
dynamic life of Split’s seafront and squares, sometimes by spying on his fellow citizens<br />
by filming them from the darkness of the narrow alleys. His obsessions were pure film,<br />
the Mediterranean and death.<br />
The Monologue of Split is an intimate poetic portrait of the city. Martinac parallelly<br />
portrays five city locations — the main square, bathing grounds, the cemetery, Diocletian's<br />
basement and the inside of an apartment — with the sounds of Ravel's “Bolero”<br />
in the background and films his own steps. In these scenes Martinac detects “a moment<br />
that stands out, eternity is cut out” (BenËiÊ, NenadiÊ, PerojeviÊ, 2012, p. 52).<br />
Martinac was an ardent believer, a temperamental Dalmatian, passionate in his<br />
pursuit for the perfect creation. He was full of whim and defiance and relied on the<br />
rich tradition of Split’s humor as motivation for his films.<br />
On 23 rd October, 1989 he shot a short film on the city streets, presenting a group<br />
of his friends from Kino-klub Split carrying a cross-shaped dry cherry tree. The<br />
film/performance title is ambiguous — It is not Time for Fruit — symbolically implying<br />
that time is passing by and one can only hope that the tree will blossom again. “Let<br />
us, oh Lord, be received into Your Garden”, writes Martinac in the movie’s final sequence<br />
— by listing all the people who carried the cross from »op Street to the Street<br />
of Petar Kreπimir (a Croatian king). One of the cross-bearer’s names is Boris Poljak.<br />
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O. Ramljak, N. Hitrec, M. Herceg: Nothing but Split<br />
Boris Poljak (1959) grew up in Kino-klub Split and became a talented cameraman<br />
with an extraordinary sense for frame composition, use of lenses and natural lighting.<br />
Poljak also has a Mediterranean background, but in a different way than Martinac. He<br />
is a voyeur by nature, a concentrated and passionate observer, authoring several dozen<br />
films. In the last decade, he has been particularly noticed as a director and filmmaker<br />
of several observational films with a Mediterranean atmosphere where he skillfully<br />
mixes documentary and experimental films, taking the best of his nonprofessional, alternative<br />
roots. His films are appealing to a wide audience, and they are structured according<br />
to a set of strict standards. Aestheticism is important to him, but everything is<br />
very human and often tragic.<br />
In three of his films with the common title Mediterranean Trilogy, Poljak filmed<br />
two Split beaches and one church, St. Nicholas church, on a hill near the town of Nin.<br />
All of the scenes are filmed with a static camera with powerful telephoto lenses that<br />
from a great distance testify to the recorded scenes. Like a real voyeur, Poljak seems<br />
to have the ability to turn into ether, into a grain of sand on the beach, into a barely<br />
visible crack in the wall , to adapt, to wait, and like a child, to enjoy the very act of<br />
shooting.<br />
It is important to emphasize the humor that is present in all three movie achievements,<br />
underlined by choice of motifs, frames and by the precise editing by Damir »uËiÊ.<br />
With his conceptual film approach, Poljak gives a critically witty and surprisingly<br />
deep view of Split and its surroundings, where cultural heritage and natural beauty<br />
have become fast food for the hordes of tourists.<br />
These authors have caught and created the Spleen of Split and have embedded<br />
their personalities into an important part of the city’s identity.<br />
2.3. Split and design<br />
The role of visual communications design in the creation of Split’s cultural identity is<br />
demonstrated through the design of the visual identity for the Eighth Mediterranean<br />
Games sports event held in Split, as a part of the identity of the city and its citizens.<br />
This is an exceptional example of visual identity design for a sporting event held in<br />
Split in 1979 that corresponds with the competitive spirit and city atmosphere in general.<br />
The design surpassed its original task and expectations and became internationally<br />
recognized and rewarded. It was also well-received by the local community, accepting<br />
it as a part of its own identity.<br />
Although the significance and reputation of the Mediterranean Games cannot be<br />
compared to the Olympic Games, the eighth edition was treated as a strategic project<br />
involving serious infrastructure investments. 9<br />
9 Golub, M. and B. LjubiËiÊ. (<strong>2018</strong>). Singular of the Plural: Symbol, Sign, Logo, Brand, Zagreb:<br />
Hrvatsko dizajnersko druπtvo. Available at http://cijm.org.gr/mediterranean-games/ (visited at<br />
25 th November <strong>2018</strong>)<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
The host cities up until then had been large cities with between half a million and<br />
a million inhabitants — Alexandria, Barcelona, Beirut, Naples and Tunis. Split only had<br />
230,000 inhabitants and 200,000 residents in neighboring cities and municipalities and<br />
was the smallest city candidate ever.<br />
Visual identity design was conceived and realized with the intention of being bigger<br />
and more significant than before. The design approach was competitive, aiming to<br />
push boundaries and change the standards of graphic design in Croatia, ex-Yugoslavia<br />
and beyond. Boris LjubiËiÊ, logo designer, art director and chief designer says, “The<br />
project itself was conceived as a competition — I wanted to show that we could be<br />
faster, better and stronger than others.” The visual identity of the Eighth Mediterranean<br />
Games transcended its task, and as a final success, the symbol became the permanent<br />
official logo of the Mediterranean Games until the present day.<br />
The primary function of graphic design and visual communication is identification<br />
and then come information and promotion. LjubiËiÊ views symbols and logos as perfect<br />
design artifacts, concise visual expressions of a certain idea, which combine all<br />
meanings and values, underlying whatever it is the design was intended for. 10<br />
The visual identity of the Eighth Mediterranean Games is easy to decipher. The<br />
project's starting point was a logo. The logo design was a reinterpretation of the Olympic<br />
Games symbol, created by Pierre de Coubertin and publicly presented in 1913. Both<br />
design solutions embody the modern age — a clear idea and a purified graphical representation<br />
without redundant, non-functional details. In the symbol of the Olympic<br />
Games, five interlaced rings represent five inhabited continents. The blue, yellow,<br />
black, green and red colors, together with the white background, represent the colors<br />
of the competing nations' flags. The intention of this design solution was to represent<br />
the main idea of the Games — the union of the continents and the meeting of athletes<br />
from throughout the world. A link to the Olympic Games’ main idea can be seen in<br />
the design of the Mediterranean Games logo. From the five colored rings, the three<br />
rings symbolizing Asia, Africa and Europe were transformed to a new monochrome<br />
symbol. The blue colored background represents the Mediterranean Sea, which connects<br />
continents, and the wavy distortion of the lower parts of the rings represents<br />
three continents immersed into the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to the primary blue<br />
color, combinations of typical Mediterranean colors were used on various materials and<br />
applications: orange/brown — as the color of land, gray/brown — as the color of<br />
stone, green — as the color of vegetation and yellow — as the color of the sun.<br />
The visual communications team from the Center for Industrial Design (CIO)<br />
worked on visual identity and its complex development and wide application. Designers<br />
in the team were Rajna BuziÊ-LjubiËiÊ, Stipe BrËiÊ, Hrvoje Devide and Stuart Hodges,<br />
led by the art director, chief designer and logo designer Boris LjubiËiÊ. Project as-<br />
10 Ibid.<br />
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O. Ramljak, N. Hitrec, M. Herceg: Nothing but Split<br />
sociates in Studio Split were Mario BrziÊ, Zlata MitroviÊ, Duje ©iloviÊ and Viπnja ©paleta.<br />
The official mascot of the Mediterranean Games was the Mediterranean bear<br />
named Adrijana and was designed by Slovenian designer Oskar Kogoj. The sea bear,<br />
lat. monachus hermann, is a mammal from the seal family. Its domicile area is the Mediterranean<br />
Sea and it used to be widespread but is now almost extinct. The main reason<br />
for the selection of the sea bear as the official mascot for the Eighth Mediterranean<br />
Games was to draw the world’s attention to this fact and to restore the necessary<br />
ecological balance in the Mediterranean Sea (Pezo, ur., 1983).<br />
In order to ensure the desired quality and consistency of visuals, the visual communication<br />
team wrote a Graphic Manual and instructions for “Functional/Decorative<br />
Equipment of a Town During the Games” and “Functional/Decorative Equipment of<br />
Playgrounds, Facilities and Space in the Function of the Games” (Kritovac, 1980). The<br />
sixty-page manual, printed in A3 format, allowed the correct and systematic use of<br />
standards in the official and commercial programs. It contained the elements of visual<br />
communication: symbols shown in all possible variants, the logo, typography, color<br />
program, format standards, the mascot, pictograms of sports and other elements of visual<br />
communication. The Graphic Manual has had a number of international publications<br />
and references, and it has attained legendary status as the first graphic standards<br />
manual in the former state. 11<br />
The complex range of visuals that spanned the entire city were visible in a wide<br />
range of applications — logos and mascots were all over town and could be seen on<br />
the streets and in homes, from tickets, flags, t-shirts and postage stamps, to gold and<br />
silver coins.<br />
The Mediterranean Games flags contributed most to the city branding; they were<br />
set on Splitska riva (Split seafront) as well as on the house and building façades. The<br />
well-known Yugoslav K67 kiosks, originally red in color, were painted to match the<br />
colors of the Games. The shops, restaurants and storefronts were decorated with elements<br />
of the design of the Games; the façades of two large buildings had the lyrics of<br />
the Games’ official anthem written across them, written by the Croatian poet Jure Kaπtelan<br />
(Kritovac, 1980). The whole city was painted in the colors of the Mediterranean<br />
Games. Many households owned the Adrijana — a stylized Mediterranean sea bear that<br />
was the mascot of the Games — as if they wanted to invite her to return to the Adriatic<br />
Sea.<br />
Keyrings, pencils, figurines, notebooks, posters, beach towels and T-shirts with<br />
various applications of the logo were a must-have in every Split family, eternally entering<br />
into the city’s collective memory and photo albums.<br />
11 Golub, M. (2013) Dizajn projekt: VIII Mediteranske igre, Split 1979. Available at http://dizajn.hr/<br />
blog/dizajn-projekt-viii-mediteranske-igre-split-1979-5-2-23-2-2013/ (visited at 25 th November<br />
2019)<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
During the exhibition called the Visual Identity of the Split Mediterranean Games<br />
in the Croatian Designers Association’ Gallery in 2013, designer LjubiËiÊ explained the<br />
role of design in the development of cultural identity: “The exhibition is devoted to a<br />
design that is not tangible and could be minor because it itself does nothing — the<br />
games would have been maintained without it. However, it is precisely a reference to<br />
the culture of space and time in which we live and that's why it can even be labeled<br />
as architecture.” 12<br />
The games have changed the layout of Split in urban and architectural terms, but<br />
as the great design historian Philip Meggs says, “The immediacy and ephemeral nature<br />
of graphic design, combined with its link with the social, political, and economic life<br />
of its culture, enable it to more closely express the Zeitgeist of an epoch than many<br />
other forms of human expression” (Meggs, 2006).<br />
The precise design logic of Split's Mediterranean Games, its pure conceptuality,<br />
purged from excessive graphic and artistic expression, within its elaboration on numerous<br />
applications, has not neglected or endangered the ambience specificity and cultural-historical<br />
features of the site, on the contrary, it contained the signs of refined antique<br />
purity, but in its authentic modernist character.<br />
Today the design of the Split Mediterranean Games defines a specific time period.<br />
When we encounter its traces, such as at an exhibition or on a preserved figurine or<br />
beach towel with the Adrijana mascot, it acts as a powerful time machine sending us<br />
on a strong emotional journey.<br />
3. CONCLUSION<br />
A city’s identity is created over time, in the interim space between transience and persistence;<br />
it is created from ideas, policies, people, memories, the environment, urban<br />
reality and legends. It leans on institutional, collective and individual achievements —<br />
from spiritual and material cultural heritage as well as contemporary cultural forms,<br />
from evidence of existence and the essence that resist to fading.<br />
The identity of Split is leaned on the Mediterranean inheritance — geographical,<br />
historical and cultural — as well as to the self-perception of its worth and beauty,<br />
which cannot be compared with anything else. Split’s rich identity has been carried<br />
through time in its literature, film and design and is still present today; it is woven into<br />
the collective memory and urban identity. Writer Marko UvodiÊ proudly added Spli-<br />
Êanin (from Split) to his name and dedicated his literature to the little, ordinary people<br />
of Split, and left some of his quotes to remain alive in a memory of his town. Film authors<br />
such as Karaman, Martinac and Poljak embedded Split in the center of their work;<br />
and the design of the Mediterranean Games perfectly interlaced with the competitive<br />
12 U Zagrebu otvorena izloæba dizajna Mediteranskih igara u Splitu 1979. Available at https://slobodnadalmacija.hr/scena/kultura/clanak/id/192981/u-zagrebu-otvorena-izlozba-dizajna-mediteranskih-igara-u-splitu-1979<br />
(visited at 25 th November 2019)<br />
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O. Ramljak, N. Hitrec, M. Herceg: Nothing but Split<br />
soul of the city. Great accomplishments in all three of these areas have become a core<br />
part of the city in every possible sense and are generally accepted by all of Split’s citizens,<br />
regardless of their age, gender, education and social status. These accomplishments<br />
speak about the city, about the space, about the people, about the spirit of time,<br />
strongly influenced contemporary literature and film, public memory, urbanism, architecture<br />
and design, and thus became a recognizable part of Split’s cultural identity.<br />
The myth of Split has never been deconstructed, and changes, which are both inevitable<br />
and necessary, have never eroded its persistence (as a verification of its existence).<br />
Split’s invincible spirit, that is constantly trying to resist the contemporary process<br />
of transforming cities into primarily tourist destinations, is the permanent (re)creator<br />
of everything that Mediterranean Split is.<br />
References<br />
BenËiÊ, B., NenadiÊ, D. and A. PerojeviÊ. (2012). Splitska πkola filma — 60 godina Kino kluba Split,<br />
Split-Zagreb: Kino klub Split- Hrvatski filmski savez.<br />
BenËiÊ, Æ. (2006). Lica Mnemozine — ogledi o pamÊenju. Zagreb: Naklada Ljevak.<br />
BoπkoviÊ, I. (2011). “SjeÊanje, pamÊenje, identitet — Split u knjiæevnosti Veljka Barbijerija” in Dani<br />
hvarskog kazaliπta: Graapplea i rasprave o hrvatskoj knjiæevnosti i kazaliπtu (ed. Senker, B., JelËiÊ,<br />
D. and M. Moguπ), Vol. 37, No. 1, Zagreb-Split, HAZU- Knjiæevni krug Split, pp. 342-356.<br />
Culture for Cities and Regions, available at http://www.cultureforcitiesandregions.eu/culture/project<br />
(visited on 1 th November <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Entrikin, J. N. (1991), The Betweenness of Place: Towards a Geography of Modernity, Baltimore:<br />
Johns Hopkins University Press.<br />
Golub, M. (2013) Dizajn projekt: VIII MEDITERANSKE IGRE, SPLIT 1979. Available at<br />
http://dizajn.hr/blog/dizajn-projekt-viii-mediteranske-igre-split-1979-5-2-23-2-2013/ (visited at<br />
25 th November <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Golub, M. and B. LjubiËiÊ. (<strong>2018</strong>). Singular of the Plural: Symbol, Sign, Logo, Brand, Zagreb:<br />
Hrvatsko dizajnersko druπtvo. Available at http://cijm.org.gr/mediterranean-games/ (visited at<br />
25 th November <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Jorgensen, B. S. and Stedman, R. C. (2001), “Sense of Place as an Attitude: Lakeshore Owners<br />
Attitudes Toward Their Properties”, Journal of Environmental Psychology, 21(3): 233-248.<br />
Karahasan, Dæ. (2008). “Pripovijedati grad” in Sarajevske sveske, Vol. 21-22, pp. 156-179.<br />
KeËkemet, D. (1969). PoËeci kinematografije i filma u Dalmaciji. Split: Muzej grada Splita, Vol. 18.<br />
KovaË, M. Pisac i grad, available at http://sveske.ba/en/content/pisac-i-grad (visited on 12 th<br />
November <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Kritovac, F. (1980). “Mediteranske igre Split, 1979 — urbani dizajn”. »ovjek i prostor, Y. 27, pp. 11-<br />
-13<br />
Lachmann, R. (1997). Memory and Literature: Intertextuality in Russian Modernism. Minneapolis:<br />
University Of Minnesota Press.<br />
Nylund, K. (2000). Place and cultural identity in the segregated city, The Finnish Journal of Urban<br />
Studies, Vol. 38: 3, 8-27, available at http://www.yss.fi/Nylund.pdf (visited on 1 th November<br />
<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Meggs, P. B. and A. W. Purvis (2006). Meggs' history of graphic design. Hoboken: John Wiley &<br />
SonsJohn Wiley & Sons, 2006.<br />
Pezo, V. (ur.). (1983). Osme mediteranske igre, Split 1979. Split-Zagreb: Centar za industrijsko<br />
oblikovanje (CIO).<br />
Ramljak, O. and K. JurËeviÊ (2017). In Search of Lost Island: Literature of Mediated Memory in<br />
JurËeviÊ, Kaliterna LipovËan, Ramljak (eds.). Imagining Mediterranean: Challenges and<br />
Perspectives. Mediterranean Issues, Book I. Zagreb: Ivo Pilar/Vern'/HAZU/EMAN, pp. 73-85.<br />
©krabalo, I. (1984). Izmeappleu publike i dræave — povijest hrvatske kinematografije 1896—1980.<br />
Zagreb: Znanje.<br />
UvodiÊ SpliÊanin, M. (?) Libar Marka UvodiÊa SpliÊanina. Zagreb: Binoza Nakladni zavod Zagreb.<br />
UvodiÊ SpliÊanin, M. (2002). Drugi libar Marka UvodiÊa SpliÊanina. Split: Marjan tisak.<br />
U Zagrebu otvorena izloæba dizajna Mediteranskih igara u Splitu 1979. Available at<br />
https://slobodnadalmacija.hr/scena/kultura/clanak/id/192981/u-zagrebu-otvorena-izlozbadizajna-mediteranskih-igara-u-splitu-1979<br />
(visited at 25 th November <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
112
Ljiljana VukmanoviÊ: One third<br />
Economy,<br />
Tourism
Ekaterina BLINOVA, Marina GREGORI∆,<br />
Martina GREGORI∆, Dajana Maria HORVAT<br />
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY<br />
OF INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL<br />
HOTELS OPERATING IN RUSSIAN AND<br />
CROATIAN MARKETS<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
Corporate social responsibility is a topic that has been engaging increasingly greater attention<br />
in business and investment services all over the world. Over the previous several<br />
decades, various industries have been facing sea-changes of business environments,<br />
emphasizing the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR). A large body of<br />
research has provided evidence that CSR may ensure a company’s long-term success<br />
and profitability when the company is able to meet competition and is a boon to society<br />
at the same time. There are different approaches that explain how CSR affects internal<br />
and external corporate processes, and this makes it an important topic for hospitality<br />
and the tourism industry as well.<br />
2. LITERATURE REVIEW<br />
The notion of corporate social responsibility (CSR) according to Chander (1994), nearly<br />
hundred and fifty years ago and started to be in the spotlight in 50th (Frederick,<br />
2006), CSR received numerous definitions and explanations, reflecting the relationship<br />
between a business and society (Bitchta, 2001). Most present-day CSR authors agree<br />
that businesses should maintain CSR practices in order to receive support from investors<br />
and can be roughly split into two broad groups. One group of authors focuses<br />
mostly on the structure of CSR (Benson and Kirsch 2010; Welker 2014), while the other<br />
group focuses on CSR’s effects on the local communities, customers and other influence<br />
groups (Rajak, 2011).<br />
Although there is an opinion that CSR is a business practice resulting mainly from<br />
the activities of global corporations and the local reaction to the practice, the focus of<br />
research attention is now shifting to CSR as a practice widely applied both by global<br />
and local companies as a tool to increase competitiveness in businesses. As today’s<br />
business practice has shown, large corporations reveal their activities within the framework<br />
of corporate social responsibility in reports available to the public. It is common<br />
today that companies provide opportunities to audit the information provided in CSR<br />
reports (Xavier, 2012). Nevertheless, a number of researchers have suggested that such<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
corporate social reports do not so much reflect a successful impact on the company's<br />
stakeholders since they are aimed at window dressing (Adams, 2004; Clarkson et al.,<br />
2008, Lauer, 2003). It has been noted that when reporting on CSR, each company often<br />
reflects different aspects of the practice (Paul, 2008), which may show different focused<br />
practices, different CSR effectiveness or different intents on what to disclose.<br />
Most publications describe best practices in relation to environmental protection<br />
(Ayuso, 2007; Bohdanowicz, 2007; Calaveras, 2003; IHEI, 2005). Very few papers deal<br />
with the practice of human resource management in the context of CSR (ILO, 2001),<br />
(Morimoto, Ash and Hope, 2005) (Bohdanowicz, Zientara and Novotna, 2011). At the<br />
same time, the CSR practice is not always revealed by hotels pursuing it (Merwe and<br />
Wöcke (2007). There is no unity about the importance of CSR practices and its reflection<br />
in reporting in current literature. Some of the authors have revealed that CSR practices<br />
are implemented solely for maintaining a “better image” of the enterprise without<br />
real commitment and efficiency.<br />
Despite all the criticism, the importance of CSR practice is acknowledged both by<br />
the business community and on governmental levels. This fully applies to Russia and<br />
Croatia. CSR is now supported both by international business and non-business organizations<br />
and by the governments. Croatia, being a member of the EU, was the subject<br />
of the 2015 EU legislation on non-financial reporting whereby large companies are required<br />
to disclose information on their environmental, labor and human rights impacts<br />
(European union, 2014). The CSR practices of Russian business enterprises are encouraged<br />
both on a governmental level and business community level; it is also expected<br />
that companies pursue CSR by customers, employees and the local communities.<br />
Although conceptual and empirical research on the emerging CSR reporting practices<br />
(Carroll, Archie, 2015) has received growing attention from researchers in Europe<br />
regarding the hotel industry, conceptual and empirical studies regarding CSR are not<br />
abundant. One recent research related to Croatian hotel companies showed that the estimate<br />
of parameters by the respondents was 3 or more on a scale of 1 to 5, which<br />
showed a positive estimation of CSR practices by the majority of respondents (Gregoric,<br />
2015).<br />
The focus of our research was to measure the awareness of employees in hotel<br />
enterprises in Russia and Croatia on CSR practices. CSR practicing and disclosure is currently<br />
demonstrated consistently and is expected to be demonstrated first of all by large<br />
international enterprises both in Russia and Croatia, while most of the businesses consider<br />
the practice mostly because of the image of the company in the eyes of the stakeholders.<br />
Despite this fact, as confirmed by this study, CSR practices are pursued by hotel<br />
companies and recognized not only by the top management of the company, but<br />
by frontline employees as well.<br />
3. RESEARCH RESULTS<br />
This research focuses on the importance of corporate social responsibility and the key<br />
aspects of corporate social responsibility as perceived and recognized by in-house ho-<br />
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E. Blinova, M. GregoriÊ, M. GregoriÊ, D. M. Horvat: Corporate Social Responsibility...<br />
tel staff (key staff). A particular research methodology has been developed so that it allows<br />
examination of issues that relate to the best corporate behavior practices of the<br />
leading international and local hotels operating in Russian and Croatian markets.<br />
The research purpose and objectives were:<br />
— to discover the main trends and patterns in CSR of Russian and Croatian hotels<br />
— to attain insight into the key aspects of CSR that receive or lack attention in<br />
Russian and Croatian hotels.<br />
The research tool selected was quantitative analysis, whose primary focus is the<br />
response of respondents to a particular event. In our case, we used a specific quantitative<br />
analysis method, i.e. a survey of respondents about their satisfaction with the discovered<br />
CSR aspects in the hotel business. The respondents filled out a questionnaire<br />
that was based on a discrete scale with descriptors and scores (the respondents were<br />
to rate their answers from 0 to 5 where 0 stood for a negative evaluation and 5 stood<br />
for a positive evaluation). The scope of the research covered Russian hotels (Moscow)<br />
and Croatian hotels (Zagreb) and represented both international and Russian hotel<br />
brands. All hotels involved in the research were 4- or 5-star hotels located in the mentioned<br />
capitals that accommodate guests who visit for business and pleasure. Each hotel<br />
provided 1 to 3 respondents.<br />
Based on the analysis of the respondents on the manifestation of CSR in a hotel,<br />
as well as the review of previous research (Blinova et al., <strong>2018</strong>), the following basic estimable<br />
parameters have been included (forming the base for a structured questionnaire).<br />
The list of parameters included both “internally oriented” and “externally oriented”<br />
parameters (were supplemented with the descriptors):<br />
1. High quality of the product<br />
2. Compliance with legislation<br />
3. Transparency of corporate reporting<br />
4. Environment protection<br />
5. Investments in production<br />
6. Charity<br />
7. Assistance in social programs in regions<br />
8. Creation of new working places<br />
9. High level of payment to the employees<br />
10. Bonuses for high results<br />
11. Social programs for the employees (health insurance)<br />
12. Improvement of working conditions<br />
13. Social programs for the employees (bonuses for the employee families)<br />
14. Support of educational programs for the employees)<br />
15. Career development programs<br />
16. Positive psychological climate<br />
17. Attention to staff motivation<br />
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Figure 1 Average Satisfaction Score. Source: author's interpretation<br />
The results of the research demonstrated that the respondents’ average satisfaction<br />
score was 3.70. This is a very low score despite the fact that it is slightly higher than<br />
the average index of 3. Depending on the regional cluster, respondents from Russian<br />
hotels showed a lower level of satisfaction with the CSR conditions (3.64 points average),<br />
and respondents from Croatian hotels indicated a higher level of satisfaction with<br />
the CSR conditions (3.84 points average).<br />
The research has made it possible to identify the parameters that have been rated<br />
as the best and the worst (see Table 1).<br />
Table 1 Rating of Parameters as Assessed by Respondents (Russia, Croatia, Average).<br />
Source: author's interpretation<br />
Question RF HRV Average value<br />
High quality of the product 4.39 4.83 4.61<br />
Compliance with legislation 4.13 4.67 4.40<br />
Transparency of corporate reporting 2.68 4.33 3.50<br />
Environment protection 4.02 3.67 3.85<br />
Investments in production 4.02 2.83 3.43<br />
Charity 4.40 3.00 3.70<br />
Assistance in social programs in regions 1.25 2.67 1.96<br />
Creation of new working places 3.96 3.67 3.81<br />
High level of payment to the employees 3.19 4.00 3.59<br />
Bonuses for high results 4.05 4.00 4.03<br />
Health insurance 4.97 4.33 4.65<br />
Improvement of working conditions 4.10 4.00 4.05<br />
Bonuses for the employees’ families 2.21 3.00 2.60<br />
Support of educational programs for the employees 4.01 4.17 4.09<br />
Career development programs 2.56 3.67 3.12<br />
Positive psychological climate 4.04 4.17 4.11<br />
Attention to staff motivation 3.83 4.33 4.08<br />
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E. Blinova, M. GregoriÊ, M. GregoriÊ, D. M. Horvat: Corporate Social Responsibility...<br />
Figure 2 Best Parameters. Source: author's interpretation<br />
Figure 3 Worst Parameters. Source: author's interpretation<br />
In addition to the high value (see Fig.2) of the Health Insurance parameter (4.76<br />
points average), respondents also gave high points to the High Quality of the Product<br />
parameter (4.53 points average), which proves the commitment employees have to<br />
their company’s brands. Another parameter that scored top-value was Compliance with<br />
Legislation (4.31 points average), demonstrating that legislative regulations and rules<br />
are clearly observed by each hotel. A positive Psychological Climate (4.08 points average)<br />
completes the list of the best parameters. This suggests that the hotel staff feels<br />
comfortable with their working environment, which is an important psychological parameter.<br />
The average level of the staff’s satisfaction with and awareness of the CSR policy<br />
is 3.7 out of 5.<br />
One more important outcome of the research is the list of parameters that received<br />
the worst evaluation (Fig. 3). Besides the low value of Assistance in Social Programs in<br />
Regions parameter (1.72 points average), another noteworthy parameter is Bonuses for<br />
the Employees’ Families (2.47 points average). It is a significant parameter in the hospitality<br />
business and deserves more attention if a company wants to improve CSR indicators<br />
in this segment. The Programs for Career Development parameter was also valued<br />
at a low rate (2.93 points average). It should be noted that, according to the em-<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Figure 4 Respondents Preferences Rating (Croatia). Source: author's interpretation<br />
Figure 5 Respondents Preferences Rating (Russian Federation). Source: author's interpretation<br />
ployees’ opinions in the survey, the companies of both regional clusters do not pay<br />
sufficient attention to their staff’s career development within the company.<br />
Within the regional cluster of Croatia, the respondents chose High Quality of the<br />
Product (4.83 points average) and Compliance with Legislation (4.67 points average) as<br />
the best parameters. The other 3 out of 17 parameters that were also awarded high<br />
points (4.33)are Attention to Staff Motivation, Health Insurance and Transparency of<br />
Corporate Reporting.<br />
It stands to mention that this regional cluster does not contain respondents’ evaluations<br />
that are be lower than 2.67 points average (the high initial value of the rating<br />
scale). The worst parameters are Assistance in Social Programs in Regions (2.67 points<br />
average) and Investments in Production (2.83 points average).<br />
Within the regional cluster of the Russian Federation, the best respondents’ preferences<br />
were given to parameters such as Health Insurance (4.97 points average), Charity<br />
(4.40 points average) and High Quality of the Product (4.39 points average). The<br />
worst parameters are Assistance in Social programs in Regions (1.25 points average),<br />
Bonuses for the Employees’ Families (2.21 points average) and Career Development<br />
Programs (2.56 points average).<br />
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E. Blinova, M. GregoriÊ, M. GregoriÊ, D. M. Horvat: Corporate Social Responsibility...<br />
Authors compared responses of Russian and Croatian respondents and created a<br />
rating of differences in estimation of CSR parameters (see Table 2).<br />
Question<br />
Table 2 CSR Parameters Estimation Differences Rating (Russia-Croatia).<br />
Source: author's interpretation<br />
Differences in responses<br />
Bonuses for high results* 0.05<br />
Improvement of working conditions 0.10<br />
Positive psychological climate 0.13<br />
Support of educational programs for the employees 0.16<br />
Creation of new working places 0.29<br />
Environment protection 0.35<br />
High quality of the product 0.44<br />
Attention to staff motivation 0.50<br />
Compliance with legislation 0.55<br />
Health insurance 0.64<br />
Bonuses for the employees’ families 0.79<br />
High level of payment to the employees 0.81<br />
Career development programs 1.11<br />
Investments in production 1.19<br />
Charity 1.40<br />
Assistance in social programs in regions 1.42<br />
Transparency of corporate reporting 1.65<br />
*internally oriented practices<br />
4. CONCLUSION<br />
The parameters that were valuated identically or similarly for both clusters in Russia<br />
and Croatia are: Bonuses for High Results, Improvement of Working Conditions, Support<br />
of Educational Programs for the Employees and Positive Psychological Climate<br />
(differences in evaluations did not exceed 0.20 point). There is also a group of parameters<br />
identified that showed significant differences in responses:<br />
— Transparency of Corporate Reporting (this indicator is 1.65 points higher for<br />
Croatia than for the Russian Federation)<br />
— Assistance in Social Programs in Regions (this indicator is 1.42 points higher for<br />
Croatia than for the Russian Federation)<br />
— Charity (this indicator is 1.40 points higher for the Russian Federation than for<br />
Croatia)<br />
— Investments in Production (this indicator is 1.19 points higher for the Russian<br />
Federation than for Croatia)<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
— Programs of Career Development (this indicator is 1.11 points higher for Croatia<br />
than for the Russian Federation)<br />
Both Croatian and Russian respondents think highly of the quality of the product,<br />
which proves their brand loyalty. They also gave high points to Compliance with Legislation.<br />
Meanwhile, High Level of Payment to Employees and Programs of Career Development<br />
remain the internat CSR parameters that were valuated as low, showing that<br />
there are a range of problems that hotel management should pay attention to. The analysis<br />
of the quantitative data collected during the respondents’ preferences survey has<br />
allowed us to define general trends and patterns together with the differences in CSR<br />
in Russian and Croatian hotels. The research has enabled the discovery of the key aspects<br />
of CSR that have receive or lacked attention and areas in which each of the countries<br />
(Both Croatia and Russia) hotel management can learn from each other. The answers<br />
obtained in the course of the research also reveal areas for further research.<br />
5. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY AND<br />
RECOMMENDATIONS TO FURTHER RESEARCH<br />
As a continuation of the research, a full range of exploratory and casual research can<br />
be carried out, in particular:<br />
1. an in-depth interview of the Russian and Croatian international and local companies’<br />
management and top-management with a comparative analysis of their<br />
experience in relation to the experience in foreign countries,<br />
2. an extension of the research on geographical borders in accordance with the<br />
priority region,<br />
3. conduct a focus group discussion to discover particular areas of the CSR influence<br />
on staff and to get insight into the level of the staff’s awareness and immersion<br />
into this data,<br />
4. media monitoring planning (an analysis of social media and news sources to<br />
evaluate the openness of the corporate social responsibility policy),<br />
5. study of awareness of the population and company staff of the activities and<br />
events being held, as well as a comparison of this data depending on the regional<br />
cluster, a description of the strong and weak points of CSR in these regional<br />
clusters.<br />
Based on it, recommendations could be developed on how to improve Russian<br />
and foreign businesses in order to attract investors and staff through pointing out the<br />
social importance of the business.<br />
References<br />
Adams, C. (2004). The ethical, social and environmental reporting performance portrayal gap.<br />
Accounting Auditing and Accountability Journal 17(5), 731-757.<br />
Ayuso, S. (2007) Comparing Voluntary Policy Instruments for Sustainable Tourism: The Experience<br />
of the Spanish Hotel Sector. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 15(2), 144-159.<br />
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Blinova, E. A., GregoriÊ, M., Dedusenko, E. A. & Romanova, M. M. (<strong>2018</strong>). Corporate social<br />
responsibility in tourism: international practices. European Research Studies Journal 21(3),<br />
636-647.<br />
Bohdanowicz, P. (2007) Theory and Practice of Environmental Management and Monitoring in<br />
Hotel Chains. In S. Gossling, C. M. Hall & D. B. Weaver (Eds.), Expert meeting on sustainable<br />
tourism; Sustainable tourism futures: perspectives on systems, restructuring and innovations<br />
(pp. 102-130). Helsingborg, Sweden: New York.<br />
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protection: an analysis of Hilton’s we care! programme (Europe, 2006—2008). Journal of<br />
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Social Responsibility 1(3). DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/s40991-016-0004-6<br />
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New York: Berghahn.<br />
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123
Miro BORI∆, Leon CAPPELLI<br />
THE ISLANDS OF THE SPLIT-DALMATIA<br />
COUNTY AS A PART OF CROATIA’S<br />
TOURISM PROMOTION<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
The modern economy and tourism are both exposed to the impact of accelerated social<br />
and technological changes and political conflicts. The availability and ease of access<br />
to information are opening new opportunities and providing a greater choice of<br />
destinations to tourists who are always on the lookout for new experiences. Due to the<br />
great impact that these changes have had on tourism, the diversification of the tourist<br />
destination offer and the higher quality of services are becoming very relevant, while<br />
at the same time, making the battle for tourists more prominent. The fact that tourism<br />
is the fastest growing economic sector in the world is supported by the World Travel<br />
& Tourism Council’s (WTTC) reports on the economic impacts of tourism and travel.<br />
These reports clearly state that in the last seven years the growth rate of tourism has<br />
surpassed the growth of the overall economy. In 2017, tourism had a 4.6% growth,<br />
while the global economy growth stopped at 3%.<br />
The aforementioned data highlights the importance of the tourism sector’s success<br />
for national economies, and even more so for local communities where it represents a<br />
key economic activity. For example, in many local communities on the Croatian coast<br />
or islands, the tourist sector is the determining factor in the vast majority of all economic<br />
activities. Due to this fact, the successful promotion of Croatia as a desirable destination<br />
is of utmost importance to these local communities and, at the same time, these<br />
islands and coastal communities are of great importance in promoting the country as<br />
an attractive tourist destination. In addition to its 1,800-kilometre-long coastline full of<br />
beautiful beaches and coastal towns, Croatia has over a thousand islands, islets and<br />
cliffs in its waters. To be specific, according to the Ministry of Tourism (MINT, <strong>2018</strong>),<br />
there are 78 islands (over 1 km 2 ), 524 islets (areas smaller than 1 km 2 and above 0,01<br />
km 2 ) and 642 rocks (area less than 0,01 km 2 ) in the Croatian territory. However, DuplanËiÊ<br />
Leder, UjeviÊ & »ala (2004) point out that only 67 islands are permanently inhabited<br />
with a total population of 125,000, which is only 2.9% of Croatia’s population.<br />
The focus of this paper will be on the tourist promotion of the islands within the national<br />
strategy of promotion in tourism of Croatia as a tourist destination. For this study,<br />
we selected the largest islands in the Split-Dalmatia County (BraË, Hvar, Vis, ©olta and<br />
»iovo), with the aim of analysing the content of various promotional printed and vid-<br />
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eo materials issued by Croatia’s National Tourist Board and the Split-Dalmatia County<br />
Tourist Board about the selected islands.<br />
2. PROMOTION IN TOURISM<br />
Marketing in tourism has special features because tourism does not sell a typical, physical<br />
product, but rather a complex interrelationship of material goods and services that<br />
influence the “impressions and experiences” of tourists. The overall tourism product is<br />
a package and might be defined in terms of its five main components: destination attractions;<br />
destination facilities and services; destination accessibility (including transport);<br />
images, brands and perceptions and price. Hence, destination is a provider of<br />
experiences (Middleton & Clarke, 2001). For visitors, the product is the total experience,<br />
covering the entire amalgam of all aspects and components of the product, including<br />
attitudes and expectations (Soteriades & Avgeli, 2007, p. 335). In a broad sense,<br />
promotion is the term that represents the improvement of something (from lat. promovere<br />
— to move forward), while in more detail, promotion (as an element of a marketing<br />
mix) is a set of activities that broadcast different information from an economic<br />
entity to the environment, mostly to the market (Meler, 1999). Tourism promotion<br />
means trying to encourage the actual and potential customers to travel to a destination<br />
through the spreading of information (Baldemoro, 2013).<br />
Guests travel to destinations and, in the current trends of increasing competition<br />
and unimaginable development of modern communication means, they want to know<br />
all the details and information about the destination, from arrival to the destination, its<br />
facilities and to the return home (JakovljeviÊ, 2012, p. 70). When choosing a potential<br />
destination, the basic incentive for travellers is the attractiveness of the tourist destination<br />
product and the quality of the service provided. Therefore, the tourist is both the<br />
subject of demand and the focus of marketing activities. In Croatia the tourist board<br />
carries out these tourist promotion and marketing activities on a national, county and<br />
local level.<br />
Tourists are not only consumers but are also active promoters of the destination.<br />
Given the technological progress and development of the Internet, with special focus<br />
on social networks and smart phones, the proactive role of tourists has become increasingly<br />
relevant and has caused a shift from the traditional methods of marketing and<br />
communication of the image of the destination. Castells (2000) described this newly<br />
created social context as a result of the changes induced by the development of the Internet<br />
as informational capitalism, a new form of social organization in which generating,<br />
processing, and transmitting information has become the main source of productivity<br />
and power.<br />
National tourism organizations are responsible for the management and marketing<br />
of tourism on a national level, while their regional subsidiaries are responsible for the<br />
activities in a particular geographical area/county. In addition to the regional/county<br />
offices of the Tourist Board, the organizational structure includes offices at local, city<br />
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M. BoriÊ, L. Cappelli: The Islands of the Split-Dalmatia County as a Part of Croatia’s...<br />
or municipality levels. The Croatian National Tourist Board is a national tourism organization<br />
founded for the purpose of creating and promoting the identity and reputation<br />
of Croatian tourism, for the planning and implementing of a common promotional strategy,<br />
for suggesting and performing promotional activities in the country and abroad<br />
and for raising the level of quality of Croatia’s entire tourism supply (NTB, <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
The National Tourist Board should answer the question of how to convince a prospective<br />
customer to try out the service being offered. County tourist boards, or as in<br />
this specific case, the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, are responsible for tourism<br />
management and marketing on the territory of the county/region. In accordance to the<br />
recent decision made by the National Tourist Board (NTB), these regional offices have<br />
gained a more significant role in strategic decisions as well as in the management of<br />
the entire promotion process (NTB, <strong>2018</strong>). The promotion of a destination is one of the<br />
most demanding and complex marketing tasks, especially from the standpoint of its<br />
planning, goals, efficiency and budgeting (JakovljeviÊ, 2012, p. 73).<br />
Destination marketing is identifying what tourists would like to see (the product)<br />
and the variety of methods that are used to attract tourists (promotion) (Hasan, 2015).<br />
The promotion and image of Croatia in the world is a topic that is being increasingly<br />
discussed in Croatia, and Boæo Skoko (2009, 2010) may be pointed out as one of the<br />
leading local researchers. Large countries with strong economies have been concerned<br />
about their own image in the world for decades. Skoko (2009) points out that this concern<br />
for image cannot be viewed as the designing of striking slogans, recording successful<br />
videos and creating recognizable designs. Such communication strategies are<br />
much more complex and tend to brand their own national identity in the context of<br />
the globalization process. Skoko (2010) conducted a research about the image perception<br />
of the countries that made up former Yugoslavia and drew a number of interesting<br />
conclusions from the perspective of the tourism industry. The citizens of these<br />
countries primarily enjoy natural beauties, especially the sea, the coast and the islands.<br />
Throughout the region, Croatia is perceived as the most desirable tourist destination<br />
and in a significant number of categories is perceived as the most advanced country of<br />
former Yugoslavia after Slovenia. The research (Skoko, 2010) confirmed that visits to<br />
Croatia and the respondents’ personal experiences are in positive correlation with a<br />
positive view of Croatia. Respondents who stayed in Croatia before the war construct<br />
their image of Croatia based on these memories and current media reporting, while respondents<br />
who have experienced Croatia only in the last few years can better comprehend<br />
life in Croatia and make a much more realistic comparison with their home countries.<br />
The promotional activities of Croatia’s national and county tourist boards are of<br />
great importance to the branding of the country as a potential tourist destination, as the<br />
implementation of marketing activities abroad have a strong influence on foreign perceptions<br />
of Croatia's tourism supply. Croatia is very attractive to tourists as a destination<br />
country but is still limited in comparison to the competitors due to its size. It is<br />
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therefore difficult to imagine how an island such as Vis or BraË could achieve a more<br />
significant marketing impact on the tourist market if operated and marketed individually.<br />
Cooperation is necessary in order to achieve greater success, and this is where the<br />
role of the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board is crucial. Destination marketing partnerships<br />
are important because most destinations have to compete on a global level<br />
(Soteriades & Avgeli, 2007, p. 336). The tourist community must recognise and exploit<br />
the potential of the islands and increase the efforts pointed towards co-operation with<br />
the islands and improved communication and cooperation between the islands themselves<br />
(through their local offices). This co-operation is a prerequisite for the creation<br />
of a “cluster”, which would be more efficient to present on the tourist market and<br />
would certainly provide a competitive advantage. In addition to tourist offices and local<br />
communities, the involvement of all the participants directly or indirectly involved<br />
in the shaping and quality of the tourist product at the tourist destination level is necessary.<br />
Another important element that Croatian tourist boards need to concentrate their<br />
efforts on is Internet marketing as a fundamental strategic point of promotion in tourism.<br />
Internet marketing is defined as the use of the Internet and other digital technologies<br />
to achieve marketing goals and to support the contemporary marketing concept.<br />
It is marketing in a new electronic environment — the process of building and maintaining<br />
customer relationships through online activities in order to exchange ideas, products<br />
and services and meet the goals of the involved parties (©kare, 2006, p. 31). This<br />
category of marketing is a prerequisite for the branding of a destination and enables a<br />
direct channel of communication between the consumer and everyone included in the<br />
destination’s tourist supply. It provides consumers the opportunity to valorise the service,<br />
share their experience on social networks and participate in the development of a<br />
tourist destination. A brand is created through long-lasting, persistent, patient and dedicated<br />
work during a process that involves careful planning and great long-term investment.<br />
To create a brand, a branding process is necessary; in other words, it is a strategic<br />
management process that involves the design and implementation of marketing<br />
programs and activities to build, measure and manage the value of the brand (Bolfek,<br />
JakiËiÊ & LonËariÊ, 2012, p. 364).<br />
The island of Loπinj can be pointed out as a positive example of the creation of a<br />
tourist brand. Loπinj has become a very important maritime and tourist centre due to<br />
its geographical location and natural factors. For this reason, it attracts a large number<br />
of visitors during the tourist season (over 2 million overnight stays), which ranks it<br />
among the leading tourist destinations in Croatia. Loπinj has been trying to extend the<br />
tourist season for some time so visitors can enjoy the mild climate and diverse Mediterranean<br />
vegetation all year round. Therefore, it based its development on the abundance<br />
of natural elements and on health tourism, launching various health and vitality<br />
projects, all with the goal of creating a unique brand (Cappelli & BoriÊ, 2017, p. 327).<br />
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M. BoriÊ, L. Cappelli: The Islands of the Split-Dalmatia County as a Part of Croatia’s...<br />
The advantage of the Internet is the availability of information to the end consumer<br />
as well as the speed at which the information is created and disseminated via web<br />
content or social media. The interactivity and accessibility of information creates the<br />
image and recognition of destinations on the continental and global tourist market.<br />
3. ISLANDS OF THE SPLIT — DALMATIAN COUNTY<br />
The Split-Dalmatia County is the largest county in the Republic of Croatia, with a total<br />
area of 14,106 km 2 . The land area, including the islands, is 4,523 km 2 (8% of the surface<br />
of the Republic of Croatia) while the surface area including the sea is 9,576 km 2<br />
(30.8% of the sea surface of the Republic of Croatia). The largest part of the area is occupied<br />
by the hinterland (59.88%), while the smallest share by the islands (19%) (SDÆ,<br />
<strong>2018</strong>). The coastal part of the county covers a narrow area between the seaside and<br />
the hinterland and is economically more developed in comparison to the less populated<br />
and economically underdeveloped hinterland. The islands, as the hinterland, are<br />
less populated but more economically developed due to the presence of tourism in the<br />
summer months. Although appealing during the tourist season due to their isolation,<br />
nature, cultural heritage and favourable climate, the islands are less populated and rarely<br />
visited off-season mainly due to distance from the mainland and transport connectivity.<br />
Every island is isolated from the rest of the region, and this natural isolation has<br />
always had a great impact on the living conditions of the island population and their<br />
overall social and economic development (Turk and JovanoviÊ, 2012).<br />
The island area of the Split-Dalmatia County consists of seventy-four islands and<br />
fifty-seven reefs. Five of these islands stand out when observing population and size:<br />
»iovo, ©olta, Brac, Hvar and Vis (SDÆ, <strong>2018</strong>). Numerous researchers in Croatia deal<br />
with the advantages and disadvantages of everyday life on Croatian islands. This is particularly<br />
true for the research of social problems, especially depopulation and aging of<br />
the population (LajiÊ, Podgorelec, & BabiÊ, 2001; NejaπmiÊ & MiπetiÊ, 2006; Podgorelec<br />
& KlempiÊ Bogadi, 2013). There are less studies dealing with the media structure of social<br />
problems, such as MustapiÊ, BalabaniÊ & PlenkoviÊ (2017). We will try to establish<br />
the marketing structure of the image of Croatian islands as a desirable tourist destination<br />
in the official publications of the County Tourist Board and the National Tourist<br />
Board.<br />
4. AIM AND METHODOLOGY<br />
The general aim of our research was to answer the following question: in what way<br />
are the largest islands in the Split-Dalmatia County (BraË, Hvar, Vis, ©olta and »iovo)<br />
used to promote Croatia as a tourist destination in promotional materials produced by<br />
both the National Tourist Board and the County Tourist Board. The research method<br />
was the quantitative and qualitative content analysis of the boards’ promotional print<br />
and video materials in 2012/13 and 2017/18. We chose the years 2012/2013 and<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
2017/<strong>2018</strong> as two comparable periods. The unit of analysis was the presence of printed<br />
or video insets dedicated to the aforementioned islands in printed and video materials.<br />
The analysis included a total of thirty-seven printed insets/materials and twentynine<br />
video clips.<br />
5. RESULTS OF CONTENT ANALYSIS<br />
5.1. Content analysis — National tourist board (NTB)<br />
2012/2013 — 2017/<strong>2018</strong><br />
The printed materials analysed in this section are the promotional materials created and<br />
published by the Croatian National Tourist Board in the years 2012/2013 and 2017/<strong>2018</strong><br />
and used to introduce and promote Croatia on the tourist market. The video materials<br />
analysed are official promotional videos of the Croatian NTB available on their official<br />
YouTube channel. These videos mostly contain motifs of Croatia’s natural beauty and<br />
cultural heritage with music in the background, as was the case in the prior years. A<br />
step forward was attempted in the video “Ode to Joy”, in which a popular Croatian cello<br />
player performed the song. When analysing this video, the impression was that it ultimately<br />
had a positive promotional effect for the artist involved but not for Croatia as<br />
a tourist destination. In 2013, NTB published the video “Croatia — the New Tourism<br />
Star of the EU” in order to use Croatia's entry into the European Union as a full member<br />
for promotion and branding. Regarding printed materials, the brochure “Croatia —<br />
the Mediterranean as it once was” was the basic brochure that encompassed Croatia’s<br />
entire tourism supply and was the Croatian Tourist Board’s main bearer and promoter<br />
of the official slogan. The other brochures were divided by their content.<br />
Table 1 NTB printed and video materials published in 2012/2013<br />
NTB print materials 2012/2013 NTB video materials 2012/2013<br />
Croatia — the Mediterranean as it once was<br />
Wellness Croatia<br />
Camping Croatia<br />
Small and family run hotels<br />
The magnificent Baranja<br />
Calendar of Cultural and Touristic events<br />
Tourist info<br />
Marina rates<br />
Croatian eno-gastronomy<br />
EDEN Croatia European Destinations of Excellence<br />
2007—2013<br />
Croatia — the New Tourism Star of the EU<br />
Croatia — Horizons of Beauty I, II, III and IV<br />
Fairy tale Croatia<br />
Croatia Numbers<br />
Ode to Joy<br />
Wonderful Istria<br />
Slavonia<br />
Cultural Heritage<br />
- Croatia — the Mediterranean as it once was<br />
By analysing and reviewing the official NTB brochures from 2012 and 2013 in<br />
more detail, we concluded that the islands were quite marginalized, which is a real<br />
concern given the fact that the purpose of the promotional materials was and still is the<br />
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presentation of Croatia as a tourist destination. The island motifs presented are mostly<br />
repetitive (the beach Zlatni Rat on the island of BraË as an example). There was no official<br />
NTB brochure about the islands during this period. It was not until 2014 that the<br />
NTB presented the new Nautical Croatia and Diving brochures with visible island motifs,<br />
which was expected given the brochures’ theme. Still, the islands, coves and<br />
beaches were not represented in the way and quantity they should have been.<br />
Table 2 NTB print and video materials published in 2017/<strong>2018</strong><br />
NTB print materials 2017/<strong>2018</strong> NTB video materials 2017/<strong>2018</strong><br />
Full of Life<br />
Tourist information<br />
One day, the time will come to leave the ordinary<br />
behind<br />
Go Croatia! #FullOfExcellentPlayers<br />
Map Croatia Full of Islands to Dicover <strong>2018</strong><br />
Camping Croatia Full of Well-Being <strong>2018</strong><br />
Nautical Tourism Visit Croatia for Memories <strong>2018</strong><br />
Eno — Gastro Croatia Feeds <strong>2018</strong><br />
Health Tourism Croatia Full of Life — new promotional video <strong>2018</strong><br />
Family and small hotels Croatia Feeds — Summer 2017<br />
- Parks of Croatia<br />
- Croatia Full of well-being — Wellness<br />
Comparing the list of promotional print and video materials in Table 1 and Table<br />
2, we can observe that the slogan of the NTB “The Mediterranean as it once was” has<br />
been replaced by the new slogan “Croatia Full Of Life.” The new slogan was used in<br />
the description of several official videos on various subjects in order to create a unique<br />
and recognizable brand of Croatia as a tourist destination in the broadcasting markets<br />
and around the world. This slogan is also utilised in the new promotional video “Croatia<br />
Full of Islands to Discover”, which was released on NTB’s official YouTube channel<br />
in <strong>2018</strong>. Although this video presents a modified part of the main promotional video,<br />
it is still worth highlighting due to the emphasis on the islands. There is a clear positive<br />
shift in the representation of islands in NTB’s official promotional materials in 2017<br />
and <strong>2018</strong>, where islands occupy a significant part of all promotional activities. In the<br />
main “Full of Life” brochure around 40% of the total content of the Dalmatia section<br />
refers to islands, while the official tourism brochure titled “Tourist Info” is identical to<br />
the version printed in 2012 with only two motifs/photos of the island of Hvar. Even<br />
though evident progress has been made in greater representation of the islands in the<br />
promotion of Croatia, the issue of motif repetition in the official brochures from year<br />
to year still persists (e.g. Zlatni Rat Beach, Stiniva Beach Vis, Blue Cave Vis, Blaca Hermitage<br />
BraË, etc.).<br />
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5.2. Content analysis — County tourist board (CTB)<br />
2012/2013 — 2017/<strong>2018</strong><br />
We also compared printed and video materials produced by the Split-Dalmatia County<br />
Tourist Board (CTB) for the same period as in the above analysis by the NTB.<br />
Table 3 CTB print and video materials published in 2012/2013<br />
CTB print materials 2012/2013 CTB video materials 2012/2013<br />
Dalmatia<br />
Islands<br />
Coast<br />
Culture<br />
Diving —<br />
Gastro —<br />
Hinterland —<br />
Charter/Nautical —<br />
Stari Grad Plain — brief history<br />
Hvar Dynamic Postcard — Croatia<br />
Hvar Timeline Stairs — Croatia<br />
The Heart of the Adriatic Golden Award<br />
In 2012 and 2013 the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board created and published<br />
eight printed and four video promotional materials. Alongside the “Dalmatia” brochure,<br />
which serves as the official printed material for the whole region, seven other brochures<br />
on different subjects were also printed. Although an official brochure about the<br />
islands was published in this time period, as can be seen in Table 3, after analysing it<br />
we concluded that it cannot be considered an adequate example of promotional material<br />
due to its large volume (124 pages). Because of its large size, the brochure becomes<br />
unappealing to wider populations and can hardly have a positive marketing effect.<br />
Even though the Dalmatian brochure is considerably shorter and more likely to<br />
attract potential visitors, the islands are presented through a number of repetitive images<br />
that are repeated throughout all the promotional materials nationally, regionally<br />
and even on the local tourist office level.<br />
Four promotional videos have been produced, and three of them are linked to the<br />
island of Hvar. The fourth video, as the only official video of the Split-Dalmatia County<br />
Tourist Board, is a combination of cultural and sacral heritage, natural beauties and<br />
landscapes, history, coasts and hinterland, city sights and coastal tourist destinations<br />
and islands. Due to the various elements covered in this video, it delivers a broad and<br />
inaccurate view of Dalmatia as a tourist destination and can hardly achieve significant<br />
marketing success on the market.<br />
Table 4 CTB print and video materials published in 2017/<strong>2018</strong><br />
CTB print materials 2017/<strong>2018</strong> CTB video materials 2017/<strong>2018</strong><br />
Dalmatia<br />
Islands<br />
Coast —<br />
Bicycle Adventure on the Islands of BraË and Hvar<br />
Fun Video Central Dalmatia, Croatia<br />
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M. BoriÊ, L. Cappelli: The Islands of the Split-Dalmatia County as a Part of Croatia’s...<br />
Cultural Heritage —<br />
Gastro Guide —<br />
Dalmatian Hinterland —<br />
Charter/Nautics —<br />
Tourist guide (2014) —<br />
Discover Dalmatia (2014) —<br />
Sacral Heritage of BraË Island —<br />
Outdoor dventures (2017) —<br />
Monography (2014) —<br />
By comparing the available official materials in the two analysed periods, we can<br />
observe that there are twelve brochures on the official channels, and seven of them are<br />
exactly the same as in the previous period, while five are new. The last official CTB<br />
brochure was published in 2014, when a monography was printed as a replacement<br />
for three brochures: Islands, Hinterland and Coast. The only brochure currently available<br />
on CTB’s official website dates from 2009. The issue of repetitive motifs and photographs<br />
is also present here, as in the materials previously mentioned.<br />
There are two new videos on CTB’s official YouTube channel named “Fun Video<br />
Central Dalmatia, Croatia 2017” and “Bicycle Adventure on the Islands of BraË and<br />
Hvar.” An official video representing the Split-Dalmatia County as a region/destination<br />
has not been created since 2013. There have also been no official videos produced focusing<br />
on the islands or the coast during this period, with exception to the video about<br />
the island of Hvar. Given the county’s tourism supply and the seasonality of tourism,<br />
we can conclude that there is an insufficiency of promotional materials pertaining to<br />
the coast and the islands.<br />
6. CONCLUSION<br />
Tourism promotion means trying to encourage current and potential customers to travel<br />
to a destination through the spreading of information (Baldemoro, 2013). When<br />
choosing a potential destination, the basic incentive for travellers is the attractiveness<br />
of the tourist destination product and the quality of the services provided. Therefore, a<br />
tourist is both the subject of demand and the focus of marketing activities. In Croatia,<br />
the National Tourist Board carries out tourism promotion and marketing activities on a<br />
national, county and local level.<br />
When viewing the levels of promotion and marketing activities, islands should in<br />
no way be forgotten since they are vital to the promotion of countries as appealing<br />
tourist destinations. Modern economics and tourism are exposed to the influence of<br />
rapid social and technological changes as well as political conflicts. Croatia’s islands are<br />
free of this dramatic dynamic, offering tourists a unique cultural ambience founded on<br />
the uniqueness of the local community, cultural heritage, and natural beauty.<br />
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The general pattern observable after analysing the video and print materials produced<br />
by Croatia’s national and especially the county tourist boards is the inadequate<br />
and insufficient presence of the islands. By researching all of the mentioned materials<br />
in an attempt to identify the presence of the largest islands in the Split-Dalmatia County<br />
(BraË, Hvar, Vis, ©olta and »iovo), a clear pattern became evident: the same (unchanged)<br />
ideas, concepts and photographs of islands are used on both the national and<br />
county level, and the official materials published by the County Tourist Board may be<br />
also considered out of date.<br />
References<br />
Baldemoro, J. (2013). Tourism promotion. Retrieved from Homepage URL:<br />
https://www.slideshare.net/JHBlue/tourism-promotion-28432196<br />
Bolfek, B., JakiËiÊ, D. & LonËariÊ, B. (2012). Polaziπta za brendiranje Slavonije kao turistiËke<br />
destinacije. Ekonomski vjesnik, 25 (2), 363-374.<br />
Cappelli, L. & BoriÊ, M. (2017). Sustanaible tourism as the foundation of the future development of<br />
tourism supply: The Case study of the Island of Loπinj. In K. JurËeviÊ, Lj. Kaliterna & O.<br />
Ramljak (Eds.), Imagining the Mediterranean: Challenges and Perspectives (pp. 31-326).<br />
Zagreb: Institut druπtvenih znanosti Ivo Pilar & SveuËiliπte VERN.<br />
Castells, M. (2000). Uspon umreæenog druπtva. Zagreb: Golden marketing.<br />
DuplanËiÊ Leder, T., UjeviÊ, T. & M. »ala (2004). Coastline lenghts and areas of islands in the<br />
Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea determined from the topographic maps at the scale of<br />
1:25 000. Geoadria, 9 (1), 5-32.<br />
Hassan, M. (2015). Promotional Activities in the strategic tourism development of Lapand, Case<br />
Study: Tour Operator’s appearance in social media. Retrieved from Homepage URL:<br />
https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/96778/Final%20thesis%20Hasan%202.pdf<br />
?sequence=1<br />
HTZ (<strong>2018</strong>). O nama. Retrieved from Homepage URL: https://htz.hr/hr-HR/opce-informacije/o-nama<br />
Jakovljevi, M. (2012)<br />
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Jadranka IVANKOVI∆, Zlatko HODAK<br />
THE ROLE OF DESTINATION<br />
MANAGEMENT IN<br />
THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM ON<br />
THE CROATIAN ISLANDS<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
How to successfully compete in a highly competitive environment such as tourism is a<br />
broad but appealing topic for both practitioners and scientists. Due to the the rising importance<br />
of tourism for national economies in environments that are constantly changing<br />
and with consumers becoming more demanding, tourist destinations are facing similar<br />
challenges, but their response to these challenges should be adjusted according to<br />
their specific situation. Since a single solution for all problems does not exist, scientists<br />
and practitioners have to make their contribution in order to improve the attractiveness<br />
and overall development of a particular tourist destination.<br />
For instance, at the recent Corfu Symposium on Managing and Marketing Places<br />
(Skinner, 2017), some of the key topics were authenticity of destinations, co-creation<br />
and collaboration between those responsible for managing and marketing places and<br />
a place’s stakeholders. At the symposium, participants discussed if it was better for places<br />
to implement individual responses to various challenges or if it would be more appropriate<br />
for them to consider how to implement similar responses and initiatives as<br />
other places around the globe. Other topics of discussion were the role of money, power<br />
and political influence on people and places. As mentioned earlier, there is a wide<br />
range of opportunities and solutions for places through destination management and<br />
marketing practices.<br />
According to Fadda (<strong>2018</strong>), “tourism encompasses many different services, facilities<br />
and attractions that create a lot of entrepreneurial opportunities (Leiper, 1979,<br />
Smith, 1988, in Fadda, <strong>2018</strong>). In many countries and regions, the tourism industry is<br />
considered to be one of the largest industries when it comes to wealth production and<br />
job creation. During the last decade, despite the general negative macroeconomic context,<br />
tourism has been constantly growing. Tourism is considered an appealing industry<br />
capable of attracting many entrepreneurs. However, these “improvised entrepreneurs”<br />
often enter into the market without sector-specific experience and with inadequate<br />
managerial skills or entrepreneurial attitudes (Hjalager, 2010, in Fadda, <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Among various causes of failure in the sector, the most frequent concern is low managerial<br />
competence and lack of experience” (Kirby, 2003, in Fadda, <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
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2. IMPORTANCE OF TOURISM<br />
Tourism has become one of the largest and fastest-growing economic sectors in the<br />
world due to the continued expansion and diversification over the past six decades.<br />
Figures have shown an increase in international tourist arrivals from 25 million globally<br />
in 1950 to 278 million in 1980, 674 million in 2000 and 1,235 million in 2016<br />
(UNWTO, 2017). Long-term forecasts made by the World Tourism Organization projected<br />
an increase of international tourist arrivals worldwide by an average of 3.3% a year<br />
between 2010 and 2030, expected to reach 1.8 billion by 2030 (UNWTO, 2011).<br />
Tourism is the third worldwide export category, after chemicals and fuels and<br />
ahead of automotive products and food. In many developing countries, tourism is the<br />
top export category. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), tourism<br />
(direct, indirect and induced) generates 10% of the world’s GDP and creates one<br />
of ten jobs. International tourism represented 7% of the world’s exports in goods and<br />
services (1.4 trillion US dollars) in 2016. Three of the largest regions globally in terms<br />
of market share in international tourist arrivals are Europe (49.9%), Asia Pacific (25%)<br />
and the Americas (16.1%). According to UNWTO (2017), the main purpose of visits in<br />
inbound tourism are leisure, recreation and holidays (53%), while the main mode of<br />
transportation is air (55%), followed by road (39%), water (4%) and rail (2%).<br />
In 2016, the European Union (EU 28) received 500 million international tourist arrivals<br />
(overnight visitors), accounting for 40% of the world’s total, while international<br />
tourism receipts reached 342 billion euros, representing 31% of worldwide tourism<br />
earnings. Within the EU, Southern and Mediterranean Europe with 193 million arrivals<br />
in 2016 is the most visited group of countries, followed by Western Europe (171 million),<br />
Northern Europe (66 million) and Central and Eastern Europe (70 million). Five<br />
out of the top ten world destinations are EU countries: France, Spain, Italy, Germany<br />
and the United Kingdom (UNWTO, <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
The World Economic Forum and its Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index<br />
(TTCI) provides a global analysis and perspective on industry trends. It enables a platform<br />
for stakeholder dialogue at a country level for formulating appropriate policies<br />
and actions in order to stimulate country competitiveness in the travel and tourism sector.<br />
Ranking results show that Europe is a region with the strongest overall travel and<br />
tourism competitiveness performance, with six economies in the top ten: Spain (1 st) ,<br />
France (2 nd ), Germany (3 rd ), Japan (4 th ), the United Kingdom (5 th ), the United States<br />
(6 th ), Australia (7 th ), Italy (8 th ), Canada (9 th ) and Switzerland (10 th ). “It continues to lead<br />
the rankings thanks to its cultural richness, its excellent tourism service infrastructure,<br />
its international openness as well as its perceived safety, despite slightly declining security<br />
perceptions in Western and Southern Europe. Significant divides remain among<br />
sub-regions, including the prioritization of the sector, environmental sustainability policies<br />
and an enabling business environment” (World Economic Forum, 2017).<br />
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2.1. Importance of Tourism for the Republic of Croatia<br />
The Republic of Croatia joined the EU on July 1, 2013. EU membership brought a lot<br />
of opportunities for economic and tourism growth, but they were not taken advantage<br />
of due to the internal political and economic situation in the country — the economy<br />
had been in recession for five years and the unemployment rate was around 20%.<br />
Table 1 International tourist arrivals and receipts. Source: UNWTO (2017).<br />
Tourism Highlights. World Tourism Organization, Madrid. Retrieved 24. 7. <strong>2018</strong>. from<br />
https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284419029<br />
In spite of this, “tourism has grown, taking advantage of enhanced political stability<br />
and infrastructure improvements... It also showed that membership alone does not<br />
guarantee prosperity but does offer country the opportunity to compete in an expanded<br />
market on a same level-playing field. To survive and prosper, countries like Croatia<br />
must seize the opportunity and be competitive. Their challenge must be to use the<br />
political stability created by membership as a spring board to economic prosperity”<br />
(Singleton, 2016). As Table 1 shows, Croatia is the fifth destination among Southern and<br />
Mediterranean countries in terms of international tourist arrivals (according to figures<br />
for 2015, since there were no figures for Turkey in 2016), and is sixth in terms of international<br />
tourism receipts.<br />
The significance of tourism for the Croatian economy is illustrated with following<br />
figures (World Economic Forum, 2017): the travel and tourism industry contributes with<br />
4,932.7 million US dollars in country’s GDP, (which makes 10.1% of total GDP) and with<br />
employment of 130,523 people (in total 9,8%). According to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics,<br />
Croatia recorded 17.4 million tourist arrivals in 2017 (13% higher than in 2016),<br />
89% being foreign tourist arrivals. In the same year, Croatia recorded 86.2 million tourist<br />
nights (11% increase to 2016). 72% of foreign tourists came from ten countries: Ger-<br />
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many, Slovenia, Austria, Poland, Italy, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, the<br />
Netherlands, Slovakia and Hungary (Institute for Tourism, 2016).<br />
2.2. Characteristics of Croatian Tourism Supply<br />
Croatia is ranked 32 nd out of 136 countries according to the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness<br />
Index — TTCI (World Economic Forum, 2017). TTCI monitors country performance<br />
in fourteen areas: international openness, prioritization of travel and tourism, ICT<br />
readiness, human resources and the labor market, health and hygiene, safety and security,<br />
business environment, price competitiveness, environmental sustainability, air<br />
transport infrastructure, ground and port infrastructure, cultural resources and business<br />
travel, natural resources and tourist service infrastructure. Individually monitored areas<br />
that were ranked below the country’s 32 nd position were prioritization of travel and<br />
tourism, human resources and the labor market, ICT readiness, business environment,<br />
price competitiveness, air transport infrastructure, ground and port infrastructure, cultural<br />
resources and business travel. Areas ranked higher than the country’s rank were<br />
international openness, health and hygiene, safety and security, environmental sustainability,<br />
tourist service infrastructure and natural resources.<br />
Croatia’s tourism strategy by 2020 recognized the following products as vital for<br />
tourism development: sun and sea, nautical tourism, business and cultural tourism,<br />
whereas areas recognized as having market potential were health tourism, cycling tourism,<br />
gastronomy and enology, rural and mountain tourism, golf tourism, adventure and<br />
sport tourism and ecotourism. According to a tourist survey, the beauty of the landscape<br />
and ecological preservation are elements in which Croatia has an advantage over<br />
its competitors (Spain, Italy, France, Greece and Turkey). However, facilities, entertainment<br />
options, sports and shopping opportunities are the standard weak points of Croatia’s<br />
tourism supply. Although Croatia has improved the quality of these services<br />
throughout the years, this growth is not sufficient to change Croatia’s position compared<br />
to its competitors. Croatia is a typical example of a mature tourist destination that<br />
is dominated by a single product — “sun and sea” with a highly seasonal tourist activity,<br />
which is characteristic for warm sea countries, primarily the Mediterranean and the<br />
Adriatic (Government of the Republic of Croatia, 2013, p. 17-19). Croatian tourism is<br />
still characterized by the following features: insufficient differentiation of products and<br />
services, lack of innovative and high quality activities, growth based mostly on expanding<br />
private accommodation in households, lack of a high quality hotel offer with insufficient<br />
investment activity, poor connectivity by air and sea, a static system of national<br />
marketing, too few globally branded destinations, inadequate destination tourism infrastructure<br />
and inherited orientation of the local population towards seasonal business<br />
(Government of the Republic of Croatia, 2013, p. 19).<br />
2.3. Tourism of the Croatian Islands<br />
Although Croatia has more than 600 islands and islets, only seventeen have more than<br />
1,000 inhabitants (Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Croatia, <strong>2018</strong>). There are a to-<br />
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J. IvankoviÊ, Z. Hodak: The Role of Destination Management in the Development of Tourism...<br />
tal of 124,955 inhabitants on all the Croatian islands. More than 10,000 inhabitants live<br />
on four islands (Krk, KorËula, BraË and Hvar), and 5,000 to 10,000 inhabitants live on<br />
five islands (Rab, Pag, Loπinj, Ugljan and »iovo), while 1,000 to 5,000 inhabitants live<br />
on eight islands (Murter, Vis, Cres, Vir, Paπman, ©olta, Dugi otok and Mljet), according<br />
to the 2011 Census (Croatian Bureau of Statistics, <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Table 2 Top ten island destinations in Croatia. Source: Institute for Tourism (2016).<br />
Hrvatski turizam u brojkama. Vol. 10. No. 4. 2016. Retrieved 25. 7. <strong>2018</strong>. from<br />
http://www.iztzg.hr/UserFiles/file/institut/Hrvatski-turizam-u-brojkama-2016-Broj-04.pdf<br />
Although not very populated, Croatian islands are attractive destinations for tourists.<br />
Ten Croatian islands generated 22% of total tourist nights in 2016 (Institute for<br />
Tourism, 2016), where six islands contributed with more than one million tourist nights:<br />
Krk, Pag, Rab, Loπinj, BraË and Hvar (Table 2).<br />
3. DESTINATION MANAGEMENT<br />
The word destination (lat. destinatio) originally indicated the primary or secondary goal<br />
of the journey. The concept of destination expanded in tourism in the early 1970s as a<br />
synonym for tourist location, zone, region, country, group of countries and even continent<br />
(Magaπ in: StaniÊ, ed. 2008, p. 3). Thus, “under the expression destination we<br />
mean an optimally combined and market-adjusted space that by developing important<br />
and dominant capabilities in the destination consciously creates the preconditions that<br />
will enable it to compete with competition and achieve good tourist results in the long<br />
run” (Magaπ, 1997, p. 20). Today the term destination is used to denote the reason for<br />
the journey, the business system, the spatial entity, the economic, socio-cultural and ecological<br />
entity, the market-tourism entity, the competitive unit and the virtual business<br />
mechanism (enterprise), (Magaπ in: StaniÊ, ed. 2008, p. 4).<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Crouch and Ritchie (2004, p. 7-8) pointed out that destination competitiveness was<br />
a function of two primary components: comparative advantage (based upon resources)<br />
and competitive advantage (based upon skills with which resources are deployed). According<br />
to their framework, a destination’s competitive position is shaped by global<br />
(macro) environmental forces and trends and competitive (micro) environmental influences<br />
and circumstances. “The model identifies five dimensions of destination competitiveness:<br />
supporting factors and resources, core resources and attractors, destination<br />
management, destination policy, planning and development, and qualifying and amplifying<br />
determinants.”<br />
Destination management should be seen as a sum of tourist activities that integrate<br />
local interests with meaningful business cooperation between stakeholders for the purpose<br />
of creating a destination product (Magaπ, 2008, p. 2-15). However, cooperation<br />
between various stakeholders will occur only if they realize that collaborative efforts<br />
will result in greater business opportunities than operating individually. Decentralization<br />
and fragmentation of the tourism supply is often a limiting factor for a tourist destination’s<br />
competitiveness. A collaborative approach on all levels of destination management<br />
as well as developing business relationships have become inevitable in<br />
strengthening the competitiveness of the destination. The main tasks of destination<br />
management are development, promotion, coordination and education (Magaπ 1997, p.<br />
75).<br />
When defining the functions of destination management, the specific characteristics<br />
of a destination’s tourism product should be taken into account: certain tourism<br />
products are public, such as walkways, parks, monuments and guest safety; stakeholders<br />
at a destination can at the same time be competitors and partners; external influences<br />
on tourism should not be neglected (including positive and negative impacts); and<br />
tourism is an abstract product that requires explanation (Magaπ, 2008, p.15-16). Based<br />
on the aspects mentioned above, four basic functions of destination management can<br />
be derived (Magaπ, 2008): (1) developing the key idea and strategy for destination competitiveness,<br />
(2) developing and forming offers, (3) marketing activities and (4) interest<br />
representation.<br />
To put it more simply, the destination management system consists of three different<br />
subsystems (functions): entrepreneurial subsystems, public regulated subsystems<br />
and subsystems that do not belong to the aforementioned (Magaπ in: StaniÊ, 2008, p.<br />
9). Trezner cites a distinction between a destination management company (DMC) and<br />
a destination management organization (DMO) (in: StaniÊ, ed. 2008, p. 49-51). A DMO<br />
deals with the overall experience of tourists in the destination or destination product<br />
(part of the public, non-profit sector), while a DMC (part of the profit, private sector)<br />
takes on the role of organizing complex tourist products, such as excursions, package<br />
arrangements, events, manifestations, conferences, etc.<br />
Considering the sustainable development of the islands, it is necessary to take into<br />
account the broader concept of destination management, i.e. place management. As-<br />
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J. IvankoviÊ, Z. Hodak: The Role of Destination Management in the Development of Tourism...<br />
plund and Ikkala (2011) offered a concept of place management that consists of three<br />
interrelated disciplines: place management, place development and place marketing.<br />
Such a concept can be used to improve the attractiveness and viability of a place, while<br />
place management takes a more active view on the responsibilities of those involved<br />
in managing and improving a place over time (Kotler in preface: Asplund and Ikkala,<br />
2011). The place needs to be looked at holistically, taking into account current needs<br />
as well as future needs of residents, the business community and tourists.<br />
The contemporary tourist demand is very heterogeneous, and requirements often<br />
outweigh the capabilities of a tourist place (Bartoluci, 2013, p. 158). To make the tourism<br />
supply competitive, a tourist destination should generate a wide range of cumulative<br />
attractions. Therefore, the interest of individual tourist sites should be the formation<br />
and arrangement of larger spatial units. This would ensure their better utilization,<br />
the possibility of valorization of lower quality touristic resources, more complex offerings<br />
for potential tourists through multiple tourist attractions, better opportunities to<br />
create a tourist identity and recognition on the tourist market, better opportunities for<br />
presentation and presence on the tourist market and a guarantee that tourists will have<br />
an activity-filled stay during their visit, which is an important criterion in the decisionmaking<br />
process when choosing a destination (VukoniÊ, KeËa, 2001, p. 37).<br />
It is a well-known fact that tourists first choose the destination and the facilities it<br />
offers and only then decide on accommodation. Businesses in a destination should<br />
therefore be aware that they depend on the recognition and attractiveness of the destination<br />
in which they operate (StaniÊ, 2008). Also, existing and new activities, events<br />
and other offerings will impact the gradual arrival of an increased number of tourists<br />
during low season, which will increase profitability for all subjects operating in these<br />
destinations (StaniÊ, 2008).<br />
4. VIS ISLAND AS A TOURIST DESTINATION<br />
— SITUATION ANALYSIS<br />
Vis Island belongs to a group of outer islands in the Adriatic Sea. It is the ninth Croatian<br />
island according to size, measuring 90.3 square kilometers. Its distance from the<br />
Croatian coast is approximately fifty kilometers. The climate is typically Mediterranean<br />
with hot and dry summers and gentle and humid winters. The island has more than<br />
2,700 sunshine hours per year (Town of Vis Tourist Board, <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Thanks to its geographical location, available sources of water, fertile land and<br />
fish, Vis has been visited and inhabited since ancient times and has been attractive to<br />
people of different cultures since the early Stone Age. Because of this, the island has a<br />
rich and interesting history full of historical artefacts. From the Second World War to<br />
Croatian Independence, the island was an important strategic military base, so the development<br />
of tourism was marginal and limited to domestic visitors. Vis’ late appearance<br />
in Croatia’s tourism promotion, together with its natural charm, make the island<br />
a great potential for creating an authentic and unique visitor experience.<br />
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Vis Island is under the regional administration of the Split-Dalmatia County, which<br />
is the second most visited Croatian county, with 3.16 million tourist arrivals. The town<br />
of Vis is economically and administratively oriented towards the Split-Dalmatia County’s<br />
center of Split. This is why a good maritime connection with Split is of crucial importance<br />
for the city and island of Vis (Town of Vis, 2016, p. 39). Vis Island has no institutional<br />
framework or administrative body for creating and implementing the island's<br />
development policy; instead, two local administration offices operate in two administrative<br />
and territorial units in the town of Vis and the town of Komiæa.<br />
The whole island has only 3,445 inhabitants living in two coastal towns (Vis and<br />
Komiæa) and has nineteen settlements (mostly on the inner part of the island). Vis’ basic<br />
demographic characteristics are a decline in the number of inhabitants, unfavorable<br />
age structure of the population, emigration of the working population and lack of<br />
skilled workers, especially during peak season (Town of Vis, 2016, p. 10). It is estimated<br />
that the town of Vis has around 1,700 inhabitants; local authorities have created a<br />
set of measures to increase the birth rate and to attract younger people to come live<br />
on the island (JurasiÊ, 2017).<br />
In 2014, there were 104 entrepreneurs with a total of 251 employees in the town<br />
of Vis (Town of Vis, 2016). The most important activities among employees were (1)<br />
providing accommodation, preparing and serving food (108), (2) water supply and<br />
sewage disposal (33), (3) administrative and ancillary service activities (25), (4) retail<br />
and wholesale (23) and (5) agriculture and fishing (21).<br />
Vis received 45.6 thousand tourist visitors with 272.8 thousand tourist nights in<br />
2017, which is a 7% increase in arrivals and a 3% increase in tourist nights compared<br />
to 2016 (Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Croatia, <strong>2018</strong>). Tourism demand is extremely<br />
seasonal; over 91% of demand is realized during four summer months. An analysis<br />
of the tourism situation in the town of Vis suggests the following (Town of Vis,<br />
2016, p. 49): (1) the tourism demand is extremely seasonal; over 91% of demand is realized<br />
during four summer months, (2) significant focus on the products of summer<br />
coastal holidays, including nautical tourism, without any serious development of other<br />
forms of tourism, (3) high dispersion of available beds — 84% of beds are in households<br />
and only 16% in hotels (mostly lower categories), (4) extremely poor utilization<br />
of the total available accommodation capacity — only 15.2% annually, and (5) a high<br />
concentration of overnight stays are in the town of Vis — 63%.<br />
5. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS<br />
The research focused on the evaluation of the existing tourism supply, marketing activities<br />
and destination management on Vis island. Research was conducted through a<br />
survey questionnaire during August and September <strong>2018</strong> on representatives of different<br />
stakeholder groups in the town of Vis. The survey was conducted on a sample of<br />
thirty-six respondents (2.11% of the population of the town Vis). Three main stakeholder<br />
groups were selected according to the triple helix system: representatives of local<br />
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authorities (N=2), tourism sector representatives (N=24) and residents of Vis island who<br />
were not engaged in touristic activities (N=10). Selection of preliminary results are<br />
shown in Table 3 and Table 4.<br />
Table 3 Evaluation of key elements of Vis island’s tourism supply. Source: authors' research<br />
The results presented in Table 3 point to the different views of stakeholder groups<br />
on the development of key elements of Vis’ tourism supply. Representatives of local<br />
authorities seemed to have the most optimistic view of Vis’ current tourism supply. The<br />
biggest differences between representatives of local government, residents and tourism<br />
sector representatives are noticed for the following statements: d, e, f, h, j, m, p and o,<br />
which points to the need for engagement and dialogue between various stakeholders<br />
in the areas of vision, development strategy and implementation plans for Vis’ tourism<br />
supply.<br />
Table 4 Development of prerequisites for destination management on Vis island.<br />
Source: authors' research<br />
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Table 4 shows the respondents’ belief that the co-operation between different<br />
stakeholders is essential for the development of destination management. Once again,<br />
local government representatives gave the highest (positive) ratings for this type of cooperation<br />
compared to the ratings from residents and tourist sector representatives. Only<br />
co-operation on the state — county — local community level was rated as inadequate<br />
— which was agreed upon by both residents and tourism sector representatives.<br />
The biggest differences in ratings among local government representatives, residents<br />
and tourism sector representatives can be seen in b, d, e, f and g. It is evident that neither<br />
residents nor tourism sector representatives are satisfied with the existing management<br />
and cooperation between local authorities and the community and with current<br />
marketing activities. All of this indicates the need to set up destination management on<br />
an island level.<br />
6. CONCLUSION<br />
This paper emphasized the importance of tourism in the Republic of Croatia and on<br />
the island of Vis. The preliminary results of the research, which included representatives<br />
of different stakeholders from Vis island, residents, local authorities and the tourist<br />
sector, are presented. In this paper, the key elements of Vis’ tourism supply and current<br />
level of cooperation are analyzed. There are major differences between the views<br />
of the island residents and tourist sector representatives compared with beliefs of local<br />
authorities. Residents and tourist sector representatives are more critical, probably more<br />
realistic, about the current level of resources and their usage on the island, about the<br />
competence level of local management and their vison as well as about the development<br />
strategy. By analyzing the prerequisites for destination management on Vis island,<br />
our initial hypothesis was confirmed: the Croatian practice of island destination management<br />
based on the example of Vis is lagging behind best practices.<br />
Areas for improvement are setting up a sense of common destiny and goals, cultivating<br />
dialogue, mutual trust and respect between different stakeholders as well as increasing<br />
managerial competences and expertise in areas of place management, place<br />
development and place branding. Tourism development on the islands should rely on<br />
the development of tourism supply based on responsible and sustainable principles.<br />
References<br />
Asplund, C., Ikkala, J. (2011). Place Management: New Roles for Place Manager in Rebuilding<br />
European Wealth. Sweden: Infotain and Infobooks Sweden AB.<br />
Bartoluci, M. (2013). Upravljanje razvojem turizma i poduzetniπtva. TuristiËka politika, razvoj i<br />
poduzetniπtvo u turizmu. Zagreb: ©kolska knjiga.<br />
Crouch, G., Ritchie, J. R. B. (2004). Application of the audit concept for destination diagnosis in:<br />
Reinventing a Tourism Destination: Facing the Challenge (ed. Weber, S., TomljenoviÊ, R.).<br />
Scientific Edition, Book No. 2, Zagreb: Institute for Tourism.<br />
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https://www.dzs.hr/Hrv_Eng/publication/2017/04-03-02_01_2017.htm<br />
Croatian Bureau of Statistics (December 2017). StatistiËki ljetopis RH za 2017. Retrieved 20. 11.<br />
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Fadda, N. (<strong>2018</strong>). The effects of entrepreneurial orientation dimensions on performance in the<br />
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Government of the Republic of Croatia (February 2013). Prijedlog strategije razvoja turizma RH do<br />
2020. Retrieved 27. 8. <strong>2018</strong>. from https://mint.gov.hr/UserDocsImages//arhiva//<br />
Strategija-turizam-2020-editfinal.pdf<br />
Institute for Tourism (2016). Hrvatski turizam u brojkama. Vol. 10. No. 4. 2016. Retrieved 25. 7.<br />
<strong>2018</strong>. from http://www.iztzg.hr/UserFiles/file/institut/Hrvatski-turizam-u-brojkama-2016-Broj-<br />
04.pdf<br />
JurasiÊ, D. (18. 12. 2017). Vis Êe do 2020. imati cijeli razred viπe. VeËernji list. Retrieved 10. 9. <strong>2018</strong>.<br />
from https://www.vecernji.hr/vijesti/vis-ce-do-2020-imati-cijeli-razred-vise-1214755<br />
Kester, J. G. C. (2016). Tourism a sunrise economy? Now and beyond Tourism future trends<br />
beyond 2030. Penang, Malaysia 17-18 October, 2016. Retrieved 24. 7. <strong>2018</strong>. from<br />
http://cf.cdn.unwto.org/sites/all/files/pdf/1.1.-wtc-2016-john-kester-tourism-future-trendsbeyond-2030.pdf<br />
Magaπ, D. (2008). Destinacijski menadæment — modeli i tehnike. SveuËiliπte u Rijeci, Opatija:<br />
Fakultet za turistiËki i hotelski menadæment.<br />
Magaπ, D. (1997). TuristiËka destinacija. SveuËiliπte u Rijeci, Opatija: Hotelijerski fakultet Opatija.<br />
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180608_HTZTUBHR_2017.PDF<br />
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25. 8. <strong>2018</strong>. from http://hrturizam.hr/upravljanje-turistickom-destinacijom-primjer-dobreprakse/<br />
Singleton, P. A. (2016). The geopolitics of future tourism development in an expanding EU. Journal<br />
of Tourism Futures, Vol. 2 Issue: 2, pp.155-164, Retrieved 24. 7. <strong>2018</strong>. from https://doi.org/<br />
10.1108/JTF-05-2015-0033<br />
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i uspjeπni marketing. Zagreb: Udruga hrvatskih putniËkih agencija.<br />
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145
Jadranka IVANKOVI∆, Diana PLANTI∆ TADI∆, Moreno PAVLI»I∆<br />
THE ROLE OF CUSTOMER<br />
RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT IN<br />
LUXURY HOTELS IN<br />
THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
In the Republic of Croatia, tourism represents a strategic economic activity and is one<br />
of the key drivers of the economy. In the past few years, there has been an increase<br />
of investment in the overall tourist accommodation capacities as well as in the segment<br />
of luxury hotels. Characteristic features of luxury hotels are high quality services, top<br />
quality materials and excellent hotel facilities with various additional amenities. Luxury<br />
hotel guests are looking for highly professional and personalized services and a<br />
unique destination experience. The fundamental determinants of a luxury hotel experience<br />
are high-quality services and relationship marketing.<br />
“Relationship marketing involves creating, maintaining and enhancing strong relationships<br />
with customers and other stakeholders. Marketing is moving away from focus<br />
on individual transactions towards a focus on building value-laden relationships<br />
and networks. The goal is to deliver long-term value to customers and the success is<br />
measured with long-term customer satisfaction. All departments must work together<br />
with marketing as a team to serve the customer. It involves building relationships on<br />
many levels — economic, social, technical and legal — resulting in high customer loyalty”<br />
(Kotler, Armstrong, Wong, Saunders, 2008, p. 387).<br />
In the era of mass tourism, numerous hotels didn’t pay much attention to the satisfaction<br />
of their guests. The hotel could lose hundreds of guests per season and simply<br />
get new guests next year. However, in today’s highly competitive environment in<br />
the hospitality sector, attention is increasingly drawn to the guest’s needs, experiences<br />
and satisfaction. Hotels monitor the opinions of their guests, but it’s not until the guest<br />
leaves that they find out what the guests’ thoughts actually are. Trends in the worldwide<br />
hotel industry show that hotels are increasingly using technology to address<br />
guests’ requests while they are still in the hotel.<br />
Accordingly, the traditional marketing approach is not sufficient to ensure the sustainability<br />
of businesses in a highly competitive business environment, especially when<br />
dealing with demanding customers. The role of marketing is gaining importance, not<br />
as a separate business function, but rather as fostering the processes of understanding,<br />
gaining and retaining loyal customers — relationship marketing. Relationship market-<br />
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ing involves the creation, maintenance and consolidation of strong relationships with<br />
clients.<br />
“Customer relationship management (CRM) is implemented using sophisticated<br />
software and analytical tools that integrate customer information from all sources, thoroughly<br />
analyse it and then apply the results to build stronger customer relationships.<br />
CRM integrates everything that a company’s sales, service and marketing teams know<br />
about individual customers to provide a 360-degree view of the customer relationship.<br />
It pulls together, analyses and provides easy access to customer information from all of<br />
the various touch points. Companies use CRM analysis to assess the value of individual<br />
customers, identify the best ones to target and customise the company’s products<br />
and interactions to each customer” (Kotler, et al., 2008, p. 393).<br />
Hotel managers must first understand how the guest experience evolves, and they<br />
should then focus on the consistent realization of plans, procedures and activities to<br />
deliver and enhance the experience. In order to do so, managers should understand<br />
the critical role of employees and share with them the importance of guest satisfaction<br />
and enthusiasm.<br />
The starting hypothesis is that managers in Croatian luxury hotels manage relationships<br />
with their clients, but the question is whether this practice is on the same level<br />
in comparison to the foreign luxury hotel practice. Our initial assumption is that the<br />
Croatian practice of relationship marketing in luxury hotels is not adequately developed<br />
in relation to the world-class luxury hotel practice.<br />
2. LUXURY HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY<br />
The concept of luxury comes from the Latin word luxuria, which signifies abundance<br />
and wealth. Viewed from the marketing aspect, luxury refers to products and services<br />
whose primary purpose is not to meet basic needs, but to provide comfort, aesthetic<br />
satisfaction and social standing (Dubois, 1993). This type of product is characterized by<br />
high quality and high price; these products are rare, prestigious and exclusive. Today,<br />
55% of customers consuming luxury goods and services come from Europe and Asia.<br />
In recent years, the biggest luxury customer segment is located in China (Cervellon,<br />
Coudriet, 2013).<br />
Buyers of such products expect a certain rarity and social prestige. For example,<br />
in luxury brand stores such as Louis Vuitton, buyers will pay attention to the prestige<br />
of the shop itself, more precisely to its decoration, size and location as well as to the<br />
courtesy of the salesperson. Accordingly, luxury brands must pay attention to the architecture<br />
and the atmosphere of commerce, culture, education of employees and rituals<br />
when purchasing and creating stories about the products themselves (Cervellon,<br />
Coudriet, 2013).<br />
The global luxury hotel market has been growing over the last few years. After<br />
the end of the global financial crisis, the number of high net worth individuals (HNWIs)<br />
has been increasing globally. The luxury hotel segment is facing the need to innovate<br />
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as their clientele continue to evolve. Established brands and newcomers must cope<br />
with dramatic consumer shifts and competitive pressures (The Challenges of the Hotel<br />
Luxury Industry, <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
The definition of “luxury” is changing with consumer expectations. “The affluent<br />
consumer segment is becoming increasingly diverse, and their expectations set the bar<br />
for luxury hotels ever higher. While some guests continue to place value on a property’s<br />
proud tradition, rich heritage and long-established conventions when selecting a<br />
luxury hotel, others HNWIs demand innovation, personalisation and flexibility.” Therefore,<br />
luxury hotels must constantly evolve — from hotel facilities, to room design, to<br />
staffing decisions and special programs. “Managers of luxury hotels face the difficult<br />
task of successfully attracting high-value customers while still maintaining operational<br />
efficiency and security, monitoring returns on investments in a wide range of specialised<br />
services (regularly eliminating the programs that offer little value) and simultaneously<br />
developing new guest services based on mobile technology and other disruptive<br />
technologies” (The Challenges of the Hotel Luxury Industry, <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
“According to the International Monetary Fund there is a positive outlook and upgrade<br />
of world economic growth, with a 3.6 percent growth rate in 2017, and across<br />
both developed and emerging markets. The Eurozone is having its best performance<br />
since the financial crisis in terms of growth, low inflation, falling unemployment and<br />
improving sentiment. Greece is showing some early signs of recovery, with an expected<br />
growth of above 2 percent, while Italy is lagging behind, facing financial and structural<br />
headwinds as well as political uncertainty” (Post Event Report. Leisure Hospitality;<br />
From Uncertainty to Opportunity, 2017).<br />
“A positive economic picture in Europe and the Mediterranean is funnelling down<br />
directly into the hospitality industry. Europe’s hospitality market is outperforming the<br />
rest of the world, with a 6.6 percent uptick in Rev PAR year-to-date August. The demand/supply<br />
quotient is still in hotel owners’ favour. Occupancies in Europe are 10<br />
percent higher than the previous peak, and northern Mediterranean cities are performing<br />
at a high level with a 10 to 20 percent occupancy premium over the southern and<br />
western Mediterranean. The fast evolution of the hospitality environment requires more<br />
flexible business models to adapt and meet end-users’ requirements and expectations,<br />
without losing financial consistency” (Post Event Report. Leisure Hospitality; From Uncertainty<br />
to Opportunity, 2017).<br />
While many first-class international hotel brands have come to Croatia in recent<br />
years, (twelve global and six European, in total forty-six branded hotels with 9,500<br />
rooms), Croatia is still below the average level of hotel chains in Europe, according to<br />
»iæmar (U Hrvatskoj sve viπe globalnih hotelskih brendova, ali i dalje ispod europskog<br />
prosjeka, 2017). The share of internationally branded hotels in total hotel accommodation<br />
capacity in Croatia is around 25 percent, while in Europe it is around one third of<br />
the total hotel capacity. The somewhat smaller presence of international hotel brands<br />
in Croatia could be partly explained by the strength of domestic hotel groups, where<br />
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ten of the largest domestic hotels and tourist companies manage 40 percent of total hotel<br />
rooms (Rogulj, 2017).<br />
Thanks to high demand, tax reforms and economic growth, Croatia's luxury hotel<br />
and residential real estate markets have shown growing success. Most of these properties<br />
are located in Dubrovnik, Istria, Opatija and on the islands, including Krk, Hvar<br />
and BraË.<br />
3. EXAMPLES OF BEST CRM PRACTICES IN<br />
THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY<br />
Leading hotels work on building relationships with their guests. The assumption is that<br />
if you build a good relationship, profitable transactions will follow. The market is becoming<br />
more saturated, and only those who create and cherish relationships with their<br />
guests will survive. There is nothing worse than a hotel that doesn't value its guests.<br />
Below are some examples of international hotel chains and their ways of creating relationships<br />
with their guests. The Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons are recognized as leading<br />
hotel chains in customer relationship management practices in the hospitality industry.<br />
Perhaps the best known brand name in the luxury hotel industry is the The Ritz<br />
Carlton chain. There are Ritz Carlton hotels in several Mediterranean countries such as<br />
Spain, Portugal and Turkey (The Ritz Carlton Hotels & Resorts, <strong>2018</strong>). This hotel chain<br />
has gained world glory for its top-quality service because it is constantly diligently<br />
working to meet the needs of the most demanding clients (wealthy clients). The company’s<br />
credo is: “The Ritz Carlton is the place where true care for our guests and their<br />
comfort is our greatest mission. We promise to provide the best personal service and<br />
accommodation for our guests, who will always enjoy the warm, relaxed and sophisticated<br />
ambience. The Ritz Carlton experience revives the senses, gives a sense of wellbeing<br />
and fulfils even the untold wishes and needs of their guests” (Kotler, Keller, MartinoviÊ,<br />
2014). This belief is more than black ink on paper; in a guest survey, about 95<br />
percent of guests said they had an unforgettable experience. The key enablers of that<br />
experience are the employees of this company. The Ritz Carlton carefully selects its employees<br />
and points out that they only want people who care about people. The selection<br />
process is followed by intensive training. New employees undergo a three-week<br />
long training during which their senior management carefully explains the twenty gold<br />
standards of the Ritz Carlton group. Employees are taught to do everything they can to<br />
never lose a client. Staff is taught that when they receive a complaint from a guest they<br />
are to handle it until it is resolved. The staff learns that they must stop everything they<br />
are doing to serve the guest. What is exceptionally important is that Ritz Carlton employees<br />
are authorized to handle on-site problems without asking for their manager’s<br />
permission, and every employee is entitled to 2,000 US dollars if they resolve a customer’s<br />
problem. The Ritz Carlton points to managing customer satisfaction on an individual<br />
level, constantly listening to guests; while other competitors are reading com-<br />
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ment cards to find customer problems, the Ritz Carlton has already solved them. This<br />
hotel group has a sense of pride in its staff. The business idea of this hotel chain is:<br />
“We are ladies and gentlemen who serve ladies and gentlemen.” The success of the hotel<br />
group lies in its employees. Satisfied employees convey a higher service value,<br />
which creates satisfied and loyal guests (Kotler, Bowen, Makens, 2010).<br />
Another example of good practice is Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. They have<br />
hotels on the Mediterranean, located in Italy, France, Portugal and Turkey (Four Seasons<br />
Hotels and Resorts, <strong>2018</strong>). They are soon opening their first resort in Croatia, on<br />
the island of Hvar. Isadore Sharp, the general manager of Four Seasons Hotels, points<br />
out that the company's top priority is a satisfied guest. He also says that customer care<br />
starts from the top, with the highest management and is felt throughout the hotel to its<br />
employees. Top management must provide an example to other employees. The corporate<br />
culture encourages employees to make an extra effort and to take care of their<br />
guests with the utmost care and attention. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts never punish<br />
their employees because they are trying to serve hotel guests. According to Peat<br />
Marwick McLintock's research, Four Seasons is unusual in this sense because most hotel<br />
companies set profitability or growth as their most important goal, while this hotel<br />
chain puts employees first. This philosophy is also visible in their mission and vision<br />
statement. This explains why Four Seasons has a high standard of service, with the highest<br />
prices among the competition on a destination and how it is earned the reputation<br />
(Kolter et al., 2010).<br />
4. METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH<br />
This research is focused on the role of customer relationship management in luxury hotels<br />
in Croatia. The main idea is to highlight current business practices, major obstacles<br />
as well as areas for improvement.<br />
Table 4.1 Hotels included in the research. According to: PavliËiÊ (<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Hotel Ownership Location<br />
H1 International hotel chain Dubrovnik<br />
H2 Croatian hotel chain Rovinj<br />
H3 International hotel chain Zadar<br />
H4 Croatian hotel chain Dubrovnik<br />
H5 Croatian hotel chain Opatija<br />
Qualitative research was done on a sample of five luxury hotels in the Republic<br />
of Croatia through in-depth interviews with managers and an analysis of clients’ complaints.<br />
Table 4.1 shows a sample of the hotels included in the research according to<br />
their location: Dubrovnik (2 hotels), Rovinj (1), Zadar (1) and Opatija (1) and according<br />
to ownership. Three Croatian-owned hotels and two different international hotel<br />
chains were included in the sample. This paper is referring to research which was car-<br />
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ried with the primary purpose of finalizing a graduate thesis (PavliËiÊ, <strong>2018</strong>), showing<br />
a couple of indicative results.<br />
5. RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH<br />
The main objective of the research was to gain insight about current business practices<br />
concerning customer relationship management usage in luxury hotels in Croatia. Based<br />
on the gathered information some suggestions have been made for further research and<br />
for the improvement of marketing and customer relationship management practices.<br />
Table 5.1 Existence of customer relationship management function and strategy<br />
for customer relationship management. According to: PavliËiÊ (<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Hotel Yes/No Function name CRM Strategy<br />
H1 Yes Guest relations coordinator Yes<br />
H2 Yes Concierge Yes<br />
H3 Yes Guest relationship manager Yes<br />
H4 Yes Guest relationship department Yes<br />
H5 No - No<br />
Hotel mangers’ responses about the existence of a customer relationship management<br />
function and strategy are presented in Table 5.1. Four interviewed managers said<br />
they have a dedicated function and strategy for customer relationship management.<br />
The strategy was mostly defined as a set of standards and procedures or even working<br />
instructions. In three cases, the name of the department itself suggests who is responsible<br />
for the function. In one case (H5) we can see that there is no function and no<br />
strategy for customer relationship management.<br />
The next group of questions was focused on methods of monitoring customer satisfaction,<br />
analysis of client’s departure rate and existence of corrective actions. Table<br />
5.2 summarises the managers' answers.<br />
Table 5.2 Guest satisfaction monitoring methods. According to: PavliËiÊ (<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Client's departure<br />
Hotel Methods rate analysis Corrective actions<br />
H1 Survey (Online) Yes Yes<br />
Online platforms<br />
Social media<br />
H2 Survey (Online) No Yes<br />
Online platforms<br />
Social media<br />
H3 Conversations with guests Yes Yes<br />
In-room questionnaires<br />
Online platforms<br />
Online surveys<br />
Internal book<br />
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J. IvankoviÊ, D. PlantiÊ TadiÊ, M. PavliËiÊ: The Role of Customer Relationship...<br />
H4 In-room questionnaire Yes Yes<br />
Online survey<br />
Internal system<br />
Tablets<br />
H5 Online survey No Yes<br />
Online platforms<br />
All interviewed managers stated that they had some sort of survey method for<br />
monitoring customer satisfaction and that they implemented certain corrective actions<br />
afterwards. The most often used survey methods are online platforms and online surveys<br />
that are conducted via e-mail. The best developed practice is demonstrated in hotel<br />
H3 and H4, where they use modern technologies like tablets to monitor the satisfaction<br />
of their guests in real-time, and they have developed internal systems. Furthermore,<br />
three out of five hotels are analysing clients’ departure rates. Hotels not analysing<br />
the guests’ departure rate have said that they “have enough new guests every year,<br />
and they don’t have to perform an analysis.” Implementation of technology for monitoring<br />
customer satisfaction is very important because it allows correction while the<br />
guests are still in the hotel. By conducting a survey after the guests have already left<br />
the hotel, opportunities for solving problems and turning dissatisfaction into satisfaction<br />
are missed.<br />
As mentioned earlier, Ritz Carlton Hotels are fully aware of these facts, so they are<br />
constantly listening to their guests in order to solve their problems during their stay.<br />
When a guest leaves the hotel, it's too late because the guest has left unsatisfied, and<br />
his negative story can be spread to several people. For example, by making tablets<br />
available in the rooms, guests can immediately comment on the service and there is<br />
still an opportunity to react.<br />
Table 5.3 shows that the most common causes for guest dissatisfaction are food,<br />
employees and room conditions. In order to solve these problems, hotels can, for example,<br />
improve the restaurant by creating more attractive menus with a wider selection<br />
of dishes, more diverse menus, by investing in employee education and training<br />
and by improving quality control (room cleaning and repairing).<br />
Table 5.3 The most common causes for the dissatisfaction of guests. According to: PavliËiÊ. (<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Hotel<br />
H1<br />
H2<br />
H3<br />
H4<br />
H5<br />
The most common causes of dissatisfaction<br />
Food, Employees<br />
Unprepared rooms, food, employees, parking<br />
Rooms, technical problems, food<br />
Rooms not renovated, employees<br />
Food, parking, technical problems<br />
When it comes to analysing food dissatisfaction, it should be taken into account<br />
that guests come from different countries with various eating habits, so dietary issues<br />
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can expectedly be one of the causes for complaints. Furthermore, it was noticed that<br />
Croatian luxury hotels usually have only two restaurants, while luxury hotels in Dubai,<br />
for instance, offer different world cuisines in ten restaurants (Le Royal Meriden Resort<br />
Dubai, <strong>2018</strong>). This kind of approach can certainly reduce nutrition problems and potential<br />
guest dissatisfaction. The second most common problem is technical failure. In<br />
this case, it is necessary to control the accommodation unit more precisely before the<br />
guest’s arrival. Namely, a more thorough check system should be put in place, and<br />
more attention should be paid to assigning accommodation to the guest.<br />
Employees should be recognized as the most important resource in the luxury<br />
hospitality industry. Table 5.4 shows that all hotels from the sample had an internal codex<br />
and plan of education for their employees. All five hotels have a codex and working<br />
instructions that every employee needs to know. Foreign hotel chains have a more<br />
clearly written codex and rules compared to hotels under Croatian ownership. The next<br />
difference observed among the five hotels is the duration of initial education. It is obvious<br />
that education is not thorough enough, is too short and is lagging the best practice.<br />
As mentioned earlier, employees of Ritz Carlton Hotels undergo three weeks of<br />
training. Education programs are specially designed with the purpose of understanding,<br />
recognizing and providing the best quality of services to guests. At the same time,<br />
Croatian luxury hotels have a very short initial training, with the only exception being<br />
H3, an international hotel chain, with a two to four week long training. It seems obvious<br />
that in order to establish a high quality of service in the hospitality industry, selection<br />
and employee education are vital.<br />
Table 5.4 Employee education. According to: PavliËiÊ (<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Hotel Codex Duration of initial education<br />
H1 Yes 1-3 days<br />
H2 Yes 1 week<br />
H3 Yes 2-4 weeks<br />
H4 Yes 1 week<br />
H5 Yes 2-3 days<br />
Furthermore, Croatian luxury hotels have a problem with finding and retaining<br />
motivated employees and one of the reasons is a poor rewarding system. Namely, due<br />
to the weak working climate, conditions and salary system, qualified employees leave<br />
the country and go abroad. Therefore, luxury hotels in Croatia need to pay more attention<br />
to creating a stimulating working environment and creating an organizational<br />
culture that will attract and retain the best possible employees. Only professional, motivated<br />
and satisfied employees will create satisfied and loyal guests.<br />
One of the more contemporary methods of building customers relationships is social<br />
networking. Social networks provide fast customer interaction, cheaper promotion<br />
and an excellent direct marketing tool as well as a guest satisfaction checkout tool. Ho-<br />
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J. IvankoviÊ, D. PlantiÊ TadiÊ, M. PavliËiÊ: The Role of Customer Relationship...<br />
tels H1 and H3 have a defined communication strategy through their social networks.<br />
The content marketing of these hotels is well-developed on the whole group level. H2<br />
hotels follow trends in social networks but have a very long process of answering direct<br />
inquiries, as does H4 hotel (Table 5.5).<br />
Table 5.5 Social media usage. According to: PavliËiÊ (<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Hotel Social media Social media strategy Way of usage<br />
H1 Facebook, Instagram, YouTube Yes Promotion<br />
Inquiry<br />
Complaints<br />
H2 Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin Yes Promotion<br />
(marketing agency)<br />
H3 Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest Yes Promotion<br />
Inquiry<br />
Complaints<br />
H4 Facebook, Instagram, YouTube No Promotion<br />
Inquiry<br />
Complaints<br />
H5 Facebook, Instagram No Promotion<br />
Inactivity and not updating social networks certainly do not contribute to building<br />
relationships with existing clients or attracting potential clients. All the interviewed<br />
managers agreed that comments on social networks are important and could affect the<br />
hotel’s reputation and business; however, the most common way of using social media<br />
is still mainly for promotional purposes.<br />
A source of inspiration regarding social media usage could be taken from the<br />
Westin Mina Seyahi Dubai Beach Hotel (TripAdvisor Westin Mina Seyahi Dubai Reviews,<br />
<strong>2018</strong>) — before their next visit, guests who have already visited the hotel and<br />
have posted an image on a social media will have this picture printed and placed in<br />
the room by the hotel to welcome them upon entering the accommodation unit. This<br />
is an example of linking social media and customer relationship strategies. This small<br />
gesture of kindness will probably motivate guests to repost through social networks.<br />
With only a small printing cost, the hotel is building friendly relationships and receiving<br />
free promotion.<br />
Table 5.6 shows the levels of loyalty program development in the hotels from the<br />
research sample. Four hotels, apart from H5, have loyalty programs. Hotel H1 is a part<br />
of a famous international hotel chain and its loyalty program has the biggest range of<br />
benefits with three levels of membership. They provide a variety of benefits in terms<br />
of welcome gifts, VIP status, free upgrades, etc. To provide each guest with the highest<br />
quality of service, a special account is opened during their stay. Everything is recorded<br />
in the hotel database system where each new guest has a profile, and all information<br />
related to his/her preferences and habits are recorded. They communicate with<br />
their regular guests via personalized emails. The next time these guests return to the<br />
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H1 hotel, they will have a quick check-in, a personalized welcome letter, various welcome<br />
gifts in the room — a wine bottle, fruit tray, chocolate, etc.<br />
Table 5.6 Loyalty program. According to: PavliËiÊ (<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Loyalty<br />
Guest<br />
Hotel program Levels Benefits account Special procedure<br />
H1 Yes 3 Special telephone line Yes Personalized welcome<br />
VIP Check in/out<br />
and communication<br />
Special offers and gifts<br />
Free upgrade<br />
H2 Yes 1 Special prices No No<br />
H3 Yes 2 Special offers and gifts Yes Special procedures for<br />
Early check-in<br />
loyal guests<br />
Late check-out<br />
Special welcome and<br />
communication<br />
H4 Yes 3 Free Wi-Fi Yes Special procedures and<br />
Special room rates<br />
communication<br />
Gifts<br />
VIP benefits<br />
H5 No — — No No<br />
Hotel H2, which is part of a famous Croatian hotel chain, has a very poor loyalty<br />
program. They do not have a strategic approach on how to deal with the most important<br />
clients, they don’t open guest accounts, and the loyalty program and benefits are<br />
very basic. Hotels H3 and H4 have developed membership levels and offer a wide<br />
spectrum of benefits. Both hotels have strategies and procedures on how to treat their<br />
loyal guests and use special accounts to keep all important information. The H5 hotel<br />
doesn’t have special treatment or a loyalty program for regular quests. They treat all<br />
guests equally.<br />
As previously stated, Croatian hotel chains have a lot of room for improvement in<br />
their relationship marketing and customer relationship management strategies. For example,<br />
the mentioned example of Ritz Carlton Hotels provides special phone lines, a<br />
special reception, etc. for their regular guests. Since loyalty programs incur certain<br />
costs, they need to provide valuable content for loyal guests (makes it harder for them<br />
to switch hotel brands), and they need to be original (unique and hard to copy). Members<br />
of Marriott's loyalty program are certainly less sensitive to other hotel offers and<br />
primarily choose to stay in the Marriott hotels where they have loyalty memberships.<br />
This is additionally confirmed by the many overnight stays generated through the loyalty<br />
program.<br />
Croatian luxury hotel chains have to design their loyalty programs more carefully.<br />
Luxury hotel guests will not become members of a loyalty program nor will they return<br />
simply due to a free bottle of water or a basket of fruit. As other research has<br />
shown, these types of guests do not like the words discount or bonuses (Aldehayyat,<br />
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J. IvankoviÊ, D. PlantiÊ TadiÊ, M. PavliËiÊ: The Role of Customer Relationship...<br />
Anchor, 2011). This type of terminology insults them. Guests of luxury hotels are looking<br />
for special, tailor-made services, often called VIP treatment. It is certainly better for<br />
these guests to have a private reception desk, a butler service, a private elevator and<br />
private breakfast rooms.<br />
6. CONCLUSION<br />
The aim of this paper was to present how Croatian luxury hotels manage customer relationship.<br />
The qualitative research was carried out on a sample of five luxury hotels<br />
located in Dubrovnik, Zadar, Opatija and Rovinj. Based on the results of the research,<br />
Croatian luxury hotels should definitely improve their relationship marketing and customer<br />
relationship management practices to cope with the practices of international hotels<br />
chains in Croatia and hotels worldwide. Areas for improvement in Croatia's marketing<br />
and management practices in the luxury hotel business were found in the following<br />
areas: development and implementation of strategies and practices of customer<br />
relationship management, improvement in employee education and faster implementation<br />
of digital technologies. Croatian luxury hotels should broaden their perspective<br />
on customer relationship management and go past the usual loyalty programs,<br />
bringing a new and fresh perspective, innovative ideas on how to create everlasting<br />
moments and delighting treats for clients of a demanding luxury segment.<br />
References<br />
Aldehayyat, J., Anchor, J. (2011). Strategic planning tools and techniques in Jordan: awareness and<br />
use. Strategic Change,17 (1), 281-293.<br />
Cervellon, M., Coudriet, R. (2013). Brand social power in luxury retail: Manifestations of brand<br />
dominance over clients in the store. International Journal of Retail & Distribution<br />
Management, 41 (11), 869-884.<br />
Dubois, B. (1993). The Market for Luxury Goods: Income versus Culture. European Journal of<br />
Marketing, 27 (1), 35-44.<br />
Four Seasons (<strong>2018</strong>). Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Retrieved 3. 9. <strong>2018</strong>. from<br />
www.fourseasons.comwww.fourseasons.com<br />
HINA (26. 7. 2017). U Hrvatskoj sve viπe globalnih hotelskih brendova, ali i dalje ispod europskog<br />
prosjeka. Retrieved 4. 7. <strong>2018</strong>. from http://www.businessin.hr/gospodarstvo/68-poslovnibarometar/4012-u-hrvatskoj-sve-vise-globalnih-hotelskih-brendova-ali-i-dalje-ispod-europskogprosjeka<br />
Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Wong, V., Saunders, J. (2008). Principles of Marketing, Fifth European Ed.<br />
Harlow: Pearson Education Limited<br />
Kotler, P., Bowen, T.J., Makens, C.J. (2010). Marketing u ugostiteljstvu, hotelijerstvu i turizmu.<br />
Zagreb: Mate.<br />
Kotler, P., Lane Keller, K., MartinoviÊ, M. (2014). Upravljanje marketingom. 14. izdanje. Zagreb:<br />
Mate.<br />
Le Royal Meridien (<strong>2018</strong>.). Le Royal Meriden Resort Dubai. Retrieved 3. 9. <strong>2018</strong>. from<br />
www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/dxbbm-le-royal-meridien-beach-resort-and-spa/<br />
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Marriott International (<strong>2018</strong>). Marriott Rewards. Retrieved 18. 8. <strong>2018</strong>. from<br />
www.marriott.comwww.marriott.com<br />
Mediterranean Resort and Hotel Real Estate Forum (2017). Post Event Report. Leisure Hospitality;<br />
From Uncertainty to Opportunity. PortAventura, 16-18 October, Tarragona Spain Retrieved<br />
24. 7. <strong>2018</strong>. from https://www.mrandh.com/<br />
PavliËiÊ, M. (<strong>2018</strong>). Vaænost koncepta marketinga odnosa u luksuznom hotelijerstvu Republike<br />
Hrvatske, Vern' — University of Applied Sciences, Zagreb.<br />
Rogulj, D. (2017). World's Leading Brand of Luxury Hotels Entering Croatia, Total Croatia News.<br />
Retrieved 24. 7. <strong>2018</strong>. from https://www.total-croatia-news.com/travel/20703-world-s-leadingbrands-of-luxury-hotels-entering-croatia<br />
Rosenthal, V. (<strong>2018</strong>). Demand for Croatias luxury hotels promotes high investor confidence, Hotel<br />
Management magazine. Retrieved 24. 7. <strong>2018</strong>. from https://www.hotelmanagement.net/<br />
author/victoria-rosenthal<br />
The Ritz Carlton (<strong>2018</strong>). Hotels & Resorts. Retrieved 5. 9. <strong>2018</strong>. from www.ritzcarlton.com<br />
TripAdvisor (<strong>2018</strong>). TripAdvisor Westin Mina Seyahi Dubai reviews. Retrieved 10. 9. <strong>2018</strong>. from<br />
www.tripadvisor.com<br />
WorldHotels (<strong>2018</strong>). The challenges of the hotel luxury industry. Retrieved 24. 7. <strong>2018</strong>. from<br />
https://www.worldhotels.com/industry-news/trends-luxury-hotel-industry<br />
158
Ivana MARI∆, Zrinka GREGOV, Jelena KOVA»<br />
THE ROLE OF STAKEHOLDERS IN<br />
THE MANAGEMENT OF<br />
THE LOCAL COMMUNITY<br />
— WITH THE CITY OF HVAR AS<br />
AN EXAMPLE<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
The Croatian islands represent an important treasure to the Republic of Croatia. The<br />
tourism potential of the Croatian islands is vast, but investments in sustainable development,<br />
improving the inhabitants’ quality of life as well as establishing a connection<br />
with the mainland remains a challenge to be solved through future strategic development<br />
and is vital in preventing the otherwise inevitable population decline.<br />
The Republic of Croatia has 1,244 islands, with seventy-eight islands, 524 islets and<br />
642 rocks and ridges. Out of over a thousand islands, only forty-seven islands and the<br />
Peljeπac Peninsula are permanently inhabited and according to the latest census from<br />
2011, an increase in the number of inhabitants has been recorded. 132,756 inhabitants<br />
live in 344 settlements on the Croatian islands, which is 7,886 more inhabitants than in<br />
2001. The islands occupy approximately 3,259 square kilometers, which makes up 5.8%<br />
of the Croatian land area. The biggest island is Cres (405.7 square kilometers), the highest<br />
island point is on the island of BraË (Vidova Gora 778 m), Pag island has the<br />
longest coastline, the longest island is Hvar, and the most populated island is Krk. 1 Besides<br />
being the longest island, Hvar is considered to be one of the most beautiful islands<br />
in the world and certainly one of the sunniest islands in Europe, with more than<br />
2,800 sunshine hours per year.<br />
The island of Hvar is a part of the Middle Dalmatian archipelago with an area of<br />
299.6 square kilometers, 68.2 kilometers in length, 10.5 kilometers in width and has a<br />
population of 10,648 inhabitants (2011). Hvar island is part of the Split-Dalmatia County<br />
in Croatia. The largest towns on the coast of the island are Hvar, Stari Grad, Jelsa,<br />
SuÊuraj and Vrboska. Other settlements on the coast include Milna, Sveta Nedilja, Ivan<br />
Dolac and Zavala. Notable settlements that are not situated on the coastline are Brus-<br />
1 Republika Hrvatska, Ministarstvo regionalnog razvoja i fondova Europske unije (n. a.). Otoci<br />
i priobalje. Available at https://razvoj.gov.hr/o-ministarstvu/djelokrug-1939/otoci-i-priobalje/3834<br />
(10. 12. <strong>2018</strong>.)<br />
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je, Grablje, Selce near Old Town, Dol, Rudina, Vrbanj, SvirËe, Vrisnik, Pitve, Humac,<br />
Poljica, ZastraæiπÊe, Gdinj, Bogomolje and Selca near Bogomolja. 2 The town of Hvar is<br />
a city with a rich historical heritage and is often considered to be the cradle of Mediterranean<br />
culture and the pearl of Hvar island. It has been an attractive tourist destination<br />
on the Mediterranean for more than a century.<br />
Hvar, the largest settlement on Hvar island (4,251 inhabitants), represents the administrative<br />
center of the western part of the island. For centuries, the city of Hvar has<br />
led the economic development of not only the island of Hvar, but of other Adriatic islands<br />
as well. The city of Hvar is an exceptionally attractive tourist destination on the<br />
Adriatic Sea due to its interesting landscape, unique climate and rich cultural and historical<br />
heritage, offering tourists an authentic experience. The city of Hvar’s rich history<br />
has left a specific mark on the city's vistas. With their unrivaled beauty, they captivate<br />
numerous tourists from all over the world who visit Hvar mostly during the summer<br />
months, but also during the annual holidays. Besides breathtaking scenery, Hvar<br />
is also well-known for its exceptional gastronomy, plentiful and engaging tourist facilities<br />
and various tourist activities in the town.<br />
The city of Hvar is often only recognized as a summer tourist destination for<br />
young people looking to have fun, but its natural, economic and social development<br />
potential is much greater and, unfortunately, insufficiently exploited. Geomorphological,<br />
climatic, hydro-geographical, biogeographical and landscape resources as well as<br />
the uniqueness of the cultural-historical and ethno-social tourism potential of the town<br />
make it an extremely rare destination in the Mediterranean as well as Europe.<br />
Although the city of Hvar is widely recognized as a desirable and prestigious European<br />
tourist destination, it is possible to greatly improve tourism products and services<br />
in order to achieve quality, year-round tourism and to ensure a holistic and sustainable<br />
development of the town. This could be achieved by developing new forms<br />
of tourism such as adventure tourism, culture tourism, health tourism and tourism<br />
which advocates to city dwellers.<br />
Improving the efficiency of city administration, boosting cooperation and involvement<br />
of all interest-influential groups in achieving local community sustainability and<br />
ensuring better cooperation between local and regional management levels is also<br />
needed.<br />
Valuable residents with diverse knowledge and skills represent the largest development<br />
potential for the city of Hvar and, at the same time, the biggest obstacle to<br />
Hvar’s development. The standard of living in the city is not on a high level in terms<br />
of the public services provided. Namely, residents have stated that they need access to<br />
better health care, additional educational, sporting and cultural facilities and improved<br />
infrastructure. Improvements should be focused on developing transport connectivity,<br />
2 Island-Hvar.info (n. a.) Otok Hvar. Available at http://www.island-hvar.info/otok_hvar.htm<br />
(10. 12. <strong>2018</strong>)<br />
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I. MariÊ, Z. Gregov, J. KovaË: The Role of Stakeholders in the Management of the Local...<br />
additional education facilities and opportunities for further education on the island and<br />
retention of young highly educated professionals with the possibility of employment.<br />
The aim of this paper was to point out the different interests of stakeholders that<br />
exist in the local community with emphasis on the inhabitants’ importance and role in<br />
the city of Hvar in creating the strategic guidelines for the development of the city.<br />
Guided by this idea, the research was carried out to highlight the priorities of Hvar’s citizens<br />
and to point out the importance of the individual and scope of the stakeholders<br />
in developing the future of their city, pointing to the difficulties and potential opportunities<br />
they encounter. The efficiency of city management is in the hands of citizens who<br />
choose the city administration that has the task of ensuring a quality life for all citizens,<br />
but also enabling a holistic and sustainable development of the local community.<br />
2. METHODOLOGY<br />
After theoretical framework about stakeholder theory of local community, qualitative<br />
and quantitative research was conducted as triangulated case study. Firstly, the strategy<br />
of the city of Hvar will be presented through its vision, mission, identity and stakeholder<br />
determination. Secondly, a survey was carried out with residents (n=168, population<br />
is 4,251), to highlight the perception of the local inhabitants about the the town<br />
of Hvar’s present image as a tourist destination, to see the perspective of strategic influence<br />
of other stakeholders priorities and to point out the importance of the individual<br />
and the stakeholder in developing the future of their city. Thirdly, all results were<br />
summarized in a SWOT analysis to recognize the difficulties and potential opportunities<br />
that exist. The obtained research results, conclusions and recommendations can be<br />
used for strategic planning.<br />
3. THE STAKEHOLDER THEORY OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY<br />
3.1. Local Community Management<br />
The local community faces numerous challenges regarding the management of the local<br />
government, especially during the summer months when it is necessary to reconcile<br />
the numerous and often opposing interests of tourists, renters, residents and other<br />
stakeholders.<br />
Local community management is a complex issue that requires accountability and<br />
involvement of all stakeholders, open cooperation and effective management of the solution<br />
creation process. It is equally important to implement strategic guidelines and set<br />
priorities and operational goals. The satisfaction of all stakeholders depends on the implementation<br />
of the solution, but the importance of their participation in all stages of<br />
the process is also not to be overlooked.<br />
According to PaviÊ RogoπiÊ (2004, p. 5-6), healthy communities are those communities<br />
in which people are satisfied, are able to accept and overcome conflicts and see<br />
the importance in preserving what is valuable, including historical, cultural, natural and<br />
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traditional heritage. People in such communities do not live in isolated groups, they respect<br />
diversity and recognize the need for dialogue and understanding. It is these kinds<br />
of communities that undergo sustainable development. Their economic development<br />
does not endanger the environment and the diverse needs of the population in those<br />
communities are met. The author also emphasizes the responsibility we have towards<br />
our community and sets out concrete steps to successfully organize the local community.<br />
PaviÊ RogoπiÊ (2004) points out the stages of successful organization of a healthy<br />
community: (1) organization of the community (determining the organizers — groups<br />
/ organizations and public involvement), (2) motivation for community work (what can<br />
I do for the community and who is willing to work with me to achieve this goal?), (3)<br />
assessing your community (identifying local needs, potentials and resources), (4) planning<br />
(the importance of partners who will help build the community), (5) public consultation,<br />
and (6) monitoring and evaluation of community activities.<br />
It is important to note that management is the key component to successfully<br />
building a healthy community where the efforts of all stakeholders are focused on<br />
achieving the community goals (their needs, expectations and interests). In this context,<br />
the key to building a healthy community lies in the hands of stakeholders who<br />
have leadership roles.<br />
The issues of noise, waste disposal, lack of parking spaces and overcrowding are<br />
just some of the problems voiced by residents during the summer months. Other problems<br />
that concern not only of the city of Hvar but the whole island are connectivity to<br />
the mainland, adequate health care, ageing infrastructure, higher education and harmonization<br />
and integration of all tourism services.<br />
3.2. Definition of Stakeholders<br />
Freeman (1984) defines stakeholders as “those groups without whose support the organization<br />
would cease to exist”. He defines them as “any group or individual who can<br />
affect or is affected by the achievement of the organization’s objectives.” Friedman<br />
(2006) indicates additional stakeholder groups:<br />
— the media,<br />
— the public in general,<br />
— business partners,<br />
— future generations,<br />
— past generations (founders of organizations),<br />
— academics,<br />
— competitors,<br />
— NGOs or activists — considered individually, stakeholders,<br />
— representatives,<br />
— stakeholder representatives such as trade unions or<br />
— associations of suppliers or distributors,<br />
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Figure 1 Stages of identifying stakeholders in the organization's surroundings.<br />
Source: Authors according Oliver (1991) and Greening & Gray (1994)<br />
— financiers other than stockholders (department holders, bondholders, creditors)<br />
and<br />
— the government, regulators, policymakers.<br />
As a part of the stakeholder management process, Mitchell et al. (1997, p. 853-886)<br />
argue that organizations need to identify and evaluate their stakeholder groups as well<br />
as their power and influence to find appropriate strategies for managing them. Bryson<br />
(1995) designed the the so-called “organizational environment scanning method” to<br />
identify stakeholders. We can see that “Bryson scanning” is used as a starting point for<br />
identifying major stakeholders in the organization (1). The following steps are used after<br />
identifying the major stakeholders: (2) determining the criteria used by the stakeholders<br />
to evaluate the organization's performance, (3) determining whether the organization<br />
meets the needs of its stakeholders, (4) determining the ways in which the<br />
stakeholders influence the organization, and (5) identifying the needs of the organization<br />
of the stakeholders from their environment. The last step (6) is about ranking the<br />
stakeholders by their importance for the organization.<br />
4. THE CITY OF HVAR AND ITS STAKEHOLDERS<br />
4.1. The City of Hvar’s Mission, Vision and Identity<br />
The mission determines why an organization exists, what it wants to accomplish, therefore<br />
determining the purpose of the organization and its value (MariÊ <strong>2018</strong>, p. 89). The<br />
city of Hvar’s Quality Management System Guide (2015, p. 7-9) sets out the city’s mission,<br />
stressing the importance of legitimate, quality, rational and effective action to continuously<br />
improve the living and working conditions of all citizens.<br />
The city of Hvar's mission, according to the Hvar Town Development Strategy by<br />
2020, is to become:<br />
— a city of recognizable cultural identity,<br />
— a city of urban-cosmopolitan design and rich cultural and historical heritage,<br />
— the leading tourist destination in the Mediterranean,<br />
— a city with a competitive economy based on knowledge,<br />
— a city that fosters the skills of old crafts and trades,<br />
— a city of health, vitality, entertainment and culture,<br />
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— a place of cooperation, community and learning with a highly developed partnership<br />
between development factors (MariÊ et al., 2015, p. 182).<br />
The town of Hvar’s vision is gaining recognition for its natural beauty, historical<br />
values and contemporary trends (MariÊ et al., 2015, p. 182).<br />
Hvar island’s vision should include elements that will enable the town of Hvar to<br />
retain its reputation as a European and Mediterranean city with rich history and tradition.<br />
It should become a city with a high quality of living that provides a unique and<br />
rich experience for tourists. The city should become the leading tourist destination on<br />
the Adriatic coast — an elite place of relaxation that can offer its visitors more than just<br />
the sun and the sea. Focus should shift to the possibility of developing various forms<br />
of tourism including, but not limited to, adventure, health and cultural tourism (MariÊ<br />
et al., 2015, p. 182). Health and cultural tourism can be an excellent upgrade to the existing<br />
“sea and sun” tourism model that mainly attracts young people and turns the city<br />
into a “party” destination, suppressing the values of the city in a shallow way. Namely,<br />
it is necessary to design a Hvar island “brand” as a unique tourist destination that<br />
offers distinctive but complementary services where all the island's indigenous products<br />
(wine, olives, oil, herbs, figs, honey, etc.) will be promoted using various tourism products<br />
and services (MariÊ, Gregov and BuËar, 2015).<br />
Table 1 The determination of identity of the town of Hvar. Source: BuËar, MariÊ and KovaË (2015)<br />
Attributes<br />
Distinctive<br />
Central<br />
Enduring<br />
The identity of the Town of Hvar<br />
— famous summer destination, party destination versus elite tourism<br />
— Hvar island’s nautical and gastro tourism center<br />
— Hvar island’s center of tourism<br />
— the significant economic and social importance of Croatia’s sunniest island<br />
— the possibilities for developing sport, cultural and health tourism<br />
— the longest tradition of tourism in Croatia (initiator of organized tourism)<br />
— significant cultural and historical heritage, UNESCO-protected cultural heritage<br />
The city of Hvar’s identity is primarily seen as a leading tourist destination but also<br />
as a city with a high quality of life. This invites a rethink of the definition of tourism<br />
for inhabitants and how to make the city really “live” in a dimension of sustainable<br />
tourism. We sought to discover the city of Hvar’s identity in that sense. Using the<br />
reaserch methodology, we determined the strategic direction of development used by<br />
the involvement of the local government and the importance of certain stakeholders.<br />
The town of Hvar’s central attributes are that it is Hvar island's center of tourism and a<br />
significant economic center with possibilities for developing sports, cultural and health<br />
tourism.<br />
We define tourism as comprising of the activities of persons traveling to and staying<br />
in places outside their usual environment, which include paying a tourist fee for<br />
staying in those places, for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business<br />
and other purposes (»avlek, Bartoluci, Prebeæac, Kesar, et al. 2011).<br />
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The key aspect to managing the city of Hvar as a tourist destination should be to<br />
re-examine its identity but also to ensure the quality of sustainable tourism (VukoniÊ,<br />
»avlek et al., 2001, p. 253). Sustainable tourism is defined as the ability of tourist destinations<br />
to stay in balance with the environment, i.e. the ability to remain competitive<br />
on the market despite the emergence of new and less visited destinations and attracting<br />
both new and returning visitors in equal proportions.<br />
There is a need for serious strategic thinking about the development and management<br />
of the entire island of Hvar and city of Hvar as a tourist destination on both a<br />
community and administrational level. Any development should have long-term benefits<br />
to the local population and should ensure the preservation of natural resources and<br />
of the island’s unique cultural identity. Sustainable tourism development requires synergy<br />
between sociocultural, ecological and economic sustainability. It is also necessary<br />
that all resources, including human, natural and knowledge resources, serve to achieving<br />
the island's sustainability (MariÊ, Gregov & BuËar 2015).<br />
To summarize, the following strategic priorities for the town of Hvar by the year<br />
2020 should be defined 3 as a part of strategic document:<br />
(1) strengthening the recognizability of the city of Hvar,<br />
(2) Human Resources Development and Quality Improvement,<br />
(3) a competitive economy,<br />
(4) infrastructure development, protection of nature and environment, and<br />
(5) improvement of development management.<br />
5. RESULTS OF THE SURVEY<br />
The aim of this exploratory study was to assess the perception of the local inhabitants<br />
about the present image of the town of Hvar as a tourist destination and to see the perspective<br />
of strategic influence of other stakeholders. A population survey of the town<br />
was conducted on a sample of 168 randomly picked residents, which represent approximately<br />
4% of the entire population of 4,251 people. 42% of the respondents were male<br />
and 58% were female. The survey’s goal was to determine the town’s identity and the<br />
strategic direction of development, i.e. the town’s future in the coming period. We used<br />
a questionnaire as a tool in our survey research that was conducted in October 2014,<br />
with the aim of understanding the residents’ attitudes and views on their own town<br />
(Figure 2).<br />
Figure 3 below shows the significance of a particular stakeholder and their level<br />
of success in the local community according to the local residents.<br />
As shown in Figure 3, the town of Hvar’s residents believe the three most successful<br />
stakeholders in their town are communal organizations, educational institutions and<br />
the Association of Craftsmen in the Town of Hvar. However, residents are equally dis-<br />
3 MariÊ, I., Gregov, Z., ObadiÊ, A., KneæeviÊ, B., BuÊar, K., AleksiÊ, A., BobanoviÊ, A. (2015),<br />
Strategija razvoja grada Hvara do 2020. godine, SveuËiliπte u Zagrebu, Ekonomski fakultet.<br />
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Figure 2 The identity of the town of Hvar as a tourist destination according to the local residents.<br />
Source: Authors<br />
Figure 3 The level of success of stakeholders in the city of Hvar according to the local residents.<br />
Source: Authors<br />
satisfied with the work of virtually all organizations within the jurisdiction of the public<br />
administration. It is therefore possible to conclude that there is significant room for<br />
dialogue between the town’s inhabitants, which can be divided into different interestinfluential<br />
groups, and representatives of city bodies and organizations. The opinions,<br />
suggestions and advice of the mentioned interest-influential groups can greatly contribute<br />
to the work and efficiency of the city of Hvar as well as to the living standards of<br />
its inhabitants.<br />
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6. SWOT ANALYSIS<br />
In Table 2, a synthesis of the city of Hvar’s SWOT analysis is presented. The SWOT<br />
analysis indicates the opportunities and threats, as well as the strengths and weakness<br />
of the external and internal environment. The city of Hvar’s key strengths are its geopolitical<br />
position, protected geographical position, microclimate and nature, longstanding<br />
tradition of agriculture, fisheries and trades as well as its rich cultural and historical<br />
heritage. The town’s weaknesses are a lacking educated workforce and poor traffic<br />
connections to the mainland and the rest of the island.<br />
On the other side, there are many opportunities such as stimulating the development<br />
of entrepreneurship and craftsmanship and encouraging the domestic population<br />
to develop a comprehensive tourism supply and apply for EU Structural Funds to improve<br />
social infrastructure. And finally, the most significant threats recognized were the<br />
strong depopulation of rural areas around the town of Hvar, the threat of pollution and<br />
noise at peak season and the devastation of Pakleni islands.<br />
Table 2 SWOT analysis (synthesis of the analysis of demographic structures and labor market<br />
conditions and the city of Hvar’s economy, social activities and infrastructure). Source: Authors<br />
Strengths<br />
— Geopolitical position, protected geographical<br />
position, microclimate and nature<br />
— Longstanding tradition of agriculture and fisheries<br />
and trades<br />
— Preserving the traditions of cooperation, cultural<br />
societies and social engagement<br />
— The first public theater in Europe in the town of<br />
Hvar in 1612<br />
— Rich cultural and historical heritage, knowledge of<br />
foreign languages and the adoption of<br />
cosmopolitan views of the world and of life<br />
— Centuries-old tradition of tourism<br />
— The preservation of ethno-social resources —<br />
traditional diet, dances, songs (klapa), production<br />
of indigenous products — wine, olive oil,<br />
lavender oil<br />
— The connection of the islands to the state, county<br />
and local roads and the favorable geostrategic<br />
position<br />
— Relatively favorable educational structure of the<br />
population<br />
— Good health personnel on the island<br />
— Infrastructure for electronic communication in the<br />
town of Hvar has been developed, investment in<br />
the construction of a broadband internet network,<br />
great potential for using renewable energy sources<br />
— Long history of health care in the town of Hvar<br />
— Microclimate — the most sunshine hours per year<br />
in Croatia<br />
Weaknesses<br />
— Poor traffic connections to the mainland and the<br />
rest of the island<br />
— Non-alignment of tourism development on the<br />
entire island of Hvar<br />
— Lack of modern entrepreneurial and managerial<br />
skills<br />
— The threat of depopulation, especially the<br />
surrounding places, except for the city of Hvar<br />
— Lacking an educated workforce<br />
— Lack of knowledge and of understanding of Hvar’s<br />
cultural heritage by young people and especially<br />
by the town of Hvar’s inhabitants<br />
— Extremely seasonal tourism<br />
— Insufficient developed modern infrastructure<br />
— Lack of social, cultural, sporting events outside the<br />
season<br />
— Inadequate health care<br />
— Lack of drainage areas, watercourses and sanitary<br />
protection zones<br />
— Incomplete or inadequate drainage systems<br />
— Lack of sports grounds, playgrounds<br />
— Significant financial investments are required in the<br />
area of renewable energy sources; funds and<br />
partners need to be found to design and<br />
implement these projects<br />
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Opportunities<br />
— Lifelong learning, development of lifelong learning<br />
programs in the field of culture, sports and<br />
traditional customs<br />
— Applying for EU Structural Funds to improve social<br />
infrastructure<br />
— Encouraging the development of entrepreneurship<br />
and craftsmanship and inclusion of domestic<br />
population into a comprehensive tourism supply<br />
— Private entrepreneurs can improve the issue of<br />
land-based transport links<br />
— Development of health, cultural, wine-and-food and<br />
sports tourism<br />
— Improving the existing educational system with an<br />
emphasis on vocational education<br />
— Improving living and housing conditions by<br />
opening kindergartens, foreign language schools,<br />
sports and cultural centers, building homes for the<br />
elderly, etc.<br />
— Co-operatives, clusters, incubators, co-working<br />
facilities for young freelancers, extension of supply<br />
of domestic eco-producers of food and health<br />
services<br />
— Encouraging cooperation between the public<br />
sector and civil society<br />
— Encouraging civil society development and<br />
education, marketing and finance education<br />
programs<br />
— Promotion of existing tourism supply and<br />
development of new tourism products<br />
— Nautical center — the marina, hydrofoil, seaport,<br />
privatization of public transport on the island,<br />
cycling paths, health tourism, wellness and spa,<br />
aromatherapy<br />
— Use of medicinal and aromatic herbs in the<br />
development of health tourism; exploitation of<br />
mineral raw materials and cultivation of<br />
Mediterranean and Sub-Mediterranean cultures<br />
— There is room for the development of numerous<br />
initiatives within EU projects that would alleviate<br />
this problem<br />
— Due to the large number of sunny days per year,<br />
there is a great deal of potential for investing in<br />
projects related to solar energy. Research has<br />
already begun on island wind farms<br />
Threats<br />
— Threat of pollution and noise during peak season<br />
and devastation of Pakleni islands<br />
— Strong depopulation of rural areas around the<br />
town of Hvar<br />
— Further departure of young and educated people<br />
— Diversity of the local community and the inability to<br />
cooperate with various interest-influential groups<br />
— Non-productive immigration — holidaymakers and<br />
retirees<br />
— Scarcity of medical specialization, and hospital<br />
treatment<br />
— The financial crisis and decline in the population’s<br />
purchasing power may lead to a reduction in<br />
incentives to develop the island<br />
— Conflicts of foreign investors and domestic<br />
fishermen<br />
— The birth rate on the island, the emigration of<br />
highly educated inhabitants<br />
— Non-recognition of knowledge and people as a<br />
key potential for city and island development<br />
— Inadequate education and training in the field of<br />
civil society management<br />
— Unclear vision of tourism development<br />
— The introduction of new forms of tourism and the<br />
repositioning of tourism supply could lead to a<br />
decrease in the income of tourists seeking only<br />
entertainment<br />
— The unfavorable impact of nautical tourism on the<br />
environment, which should be adequately<br />
anticipated and planned in spatial planning<br />
— Electricity supply depends on infrastructure from the<br />
mainland<br />
7. CONCLUSION<br />
It can be concluded that the problems of local development management in most<br />
of the cities in Croatia are related to the issues of predicting the dynamics and complexity<br />
of the environment, political instability and uncertainty and the need to apply<br />
managerial knowledge and skills.<br />
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The city of Hvar is often only recognized as a summer tourist destination for<br />
young people looking to have fun, but its natural, economic and social development<br />
potential is much greater and, unfortunately, insufficiently exploited. Geomorphological,<br />
climatic, hydro-geographical, biogeographical and landscape resources as well as<br />
the uniqueness of the cultural-historical and ethno-social tourism potential of the town<br />
make it an extremely rare destination in the Mediterranean as well as in Europe.<br />
The main goal of this paper was to highlight the role and significance of particular<br />
stakeholders in managing the city of Hvar’s local community. The town’s identity as<br />
a tourist destination according to the perception of the local residents is seen as a city<br />
of holidays/sun and sea, a city of culture, a city of entertainment and a city of health<br />
and adventure. The findings of our paper indicate that strengthening the recognizability<br />
of the city of Hvar and defining its new identity in the direction of elite tourism versus<br />
a party destination and encouraging the possibilities for developing sports, cultural<br />
and health tourism are the key for the sustainable development of the city. Finally,<br />
through the development of the SWOT analysis, we have clearly stated the concrete<br />
opportunities and threats, as well as the strengths and limitations of the external and<br />
internal environment. Our efforts are only the first steps in the research and development<br />
of this topic, and we hope that other authors will continue to explore this subject<br />
and find new ways of improving the management of the local community.<br />
References<br />
Bryson, J. (1995). Strategic Planning for Public and Non-Profit Organization. San Francisco: Jossey-<br />
-Bass Publishers.<br />
BuËar, K., MariÊ, I. & KovaË, J. (2015). Review of Identity — Example of the Town of Hvar.<br />
Dubrovnik: 6th International OFEL Conference on Governance, Management and<br />
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»avlek, N., Bartoluci, M., Prebeæac, D., Kesar, O. i suradnici (2011). Turizam — ekonomske osnove<br />
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Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic Management: A stakeholder Approach. Boston MA: Pitman.<br />
Friedman, A. L. & Miles, S. (2006). Stakeholders: Theory and Practice. Oxford University Press.<br />
Hruπka, D. (n. a.) SWOT i strateπki menadæment. Available at http://www.efzg.unizg.hr/<br />
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KovaË, J. (2016). Utjecaj interesno-utjecajnih skupina na upravljanje gradom Hvarom. Zavrπni rad.<br />
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Zagrebu.<br />
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and salience: defining the principle of the who and what really counts. Academy of<br />
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proizvoda (ed. Hrvoje CariÊ). Zagreb: Institut za turizam & Odraz — Odræivi razvoj zajednice.<br />
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170
Stanko RIHTAR, Ivana FERI∆<br />
INTENSITY OF EXPLOITATION AND<br />
QUALITY OF SEASIDE (COASTAL,<br />
ISLAND) AND INLAND TOURIST<br />
DESTINATIONS IN CROATIA:<br />
AN EMPIRICAL INSIGHT<br />
INTRODUCTION: RESEARCH AND DATA SOURCE<br />
Among various economic sectors, tourism is viewed as the fastest growing economic<br />
activity in the world and one of the key drivers for global socio-economic progress.<br />
Contemporary tourists are more experienced and demanding than ever before, and by<br />
improving their tourism supply, many destinations have raised the standards as well as<br />
the tourists’ expectation levels. As the quality of various tourism products grows, differentiation<br />
by quality rather than by price becomes of vital interest in acquiring a competitive<br />
advantage among various tourist destinations (De Keyser & Vanhove, 1997;<br />
Keller, 1998). Quality in tourism as the key factor of competitiveness implies continuous<br />
monitoring and comparison with the best-practice competitors in the tourism market.<br />
A growing number of institutional actors worldwide are therefore becoming interested<br />
in measuring the quality of the tourism “product” of a particular destination. The<br />
trend in literature has been to identify a set of competitiveness indicators (Kozak &<br />
Rimmington, 1999; Dwyer & Kim, 2003; Ritchie & Crouch, 2003) and to then measure<br />
performance on these factors (Omerzel Gomezelj & MihaliË, 2008; Croes, 2010; Crouch,<br />
2010). The expansion of the tourism market and the evolving concept of tourism (holiday<br />
tourism, tourism of the physically disabled, ecological tourism, conference tourism,<br />
political tourism, etc.) has rendered the identification and evaluation of tourism<br />
competitiveness factors an even more significant research task (Mazanec, Wöber &<br />
Zins, 2007).<br />
In Croatia, tourism is seen as a vital economic activity: by the year 2024 the impact<br />
of this activity is expected to rise to 17.1% of the GDP (World Travel & Tourism<br />
Council, 2014). This profound impact of tourism on the national economy has led to a<br />
growing awareness of tourist industry stake holders and the general public on the importance<br />
of quality in building and sustaining the competitiveness of tourism supply<br />
value chains. It is, therefore, not surprising that the quality of the tourism supply chain<br />
in receptive locations in Croatia has become a very relevant issue.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
In line with this, as a part of the national campaign for quality in Croatian tourist<br />
destinations, a framework for an empirical evaluation of destination quality was proposed,<br />
based on the quality control of selected elements of destinations' supply chain<br />
which enhance visitor's experience (Pine & Gilmore, 1999). The aim of this evaluation<br />
was to determine the direction of a future destination development system and ensure<br />
its sustainability in the long run. Emphasis was placed on the need of forming a “system<br />
of indicators” (based on scores) that could estimate the tourism supply quality as<br />
an element of a destination’s competitiveness capability with the help of objective and<br />
subjective information.<br />
The framework, developed within the project The Flower of Tourism — Quality<br />
for Croatia (conducted by the Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences in collaboration with<br />
the Croatian Chamber of Economy and Croatian Television), identified eleven dimensions<br />
that emanate from “accommodation” (defined by the number of bed places), as<br />
the basic dimension of a destination’s value chain (Poljanec-BoriÊ, 2011).<br />
Operationally, each of these dimensions was described through a set of indicators<br />
regarded to be of pivotal importance for the quality of the tourist experience. Two<br />
types of indicators were used: objective, evaluated on the basis of facts (e.g., multilingualism<br />
of local tourist boards’ web pages), and subjective, where evaluation was<br />
based on an individual’s personal impression (e.g., general impressions of a destination).<br />
These dimensions and their related indicators take into account a wide variety of<br />
possible destination experiences and provide a comprehensive measure of the quality<br />
of a destination’s tourism supply. Following this framework, an evaluation protocol was<br />
constructed containing forty items capturing the eleven dimensions of tourist destination<br />
value chain in a particular destination. A Likert-type scale of 1 to 5, where 1 means<br />
‘Not at all satisfactory’ and 5 means ‘Excellent’, was related to each indicator. The protocol<br />
was accompanied by a detailed description of the evaluation criteria written in a<br />
manual where every indicator as well as every single rating related to the indicator was<br />
explained in detail. The complete list of dimensions and related indicators is shown in<br />
Table 1 (explanations of the evaluation criteria in much more detail are provided in the<br />
manual for evaluators).<br />
Dimension<br />
Table 1 Dimensions of tourism supply and related indicators<br />
(Source: Kaliterna LipovËan, Brajπa-Æganec and Poljanec-BoriÊ, 2014)<br />
Indicators<br />
1. Web page information (1) diversity of information on the local tourist office web pages<br />
(tourist information on the local (2) technical capacity of the web page<br />
tourist office web pages) (3) multilingualism of the web page<br />
2. Local information services (1) professionalism of the informant<br />
(tourist information in<br />
(2) accessibility of information<br />
a destination)<br />
(3) quality of information in printed materials<br />
(4) diversity of locally organized tours and excursions<br />
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3. Accommodation (1) adequacy of accommodation to the character of destination<br />
(2) adequacy of accommodation to the category of destination<br />
(3) appearance of the main hotel in the centre of destination<br />
(4) appearance of the resort hotel<br />
(5) appearance of private accommodation<br />
4. Traffic (1) parking solutions<br />
(2) regulation of traffic in pedestrian contact zones<br />
(3) traffic signalization<br />
5. Catering facilities (1) perception of restaurants, inns, bistros, coffee shops<br />
and similar capacities<br />
(2) diversity of catering facilities<br />
(3) catering culture (couvert)<br />
6. Human resources and (1) impressions of public infrastructure<br />
public infrastructure<br />
(2) impressions of traffic terminals (bus, ship, train)<br />
(3) impressions of public toilets<br />
(4) general impressions of a destination<br />
(5) hospitality of employees<br />
(6) hospitality of local inhabitants<br />
7. Consumption of goods (1) consumer options in a destination<br />
(2) souvenir supply<br />
(3) atmosphere in shops<br />
8. Decorations (1) cleanness of a destination<br />
(2) façade maintenance<br />
(3) urban accessories<br />
(4) signs<br />
9. Culture and entertainment (1) impression of a monument<br />
(2) impression of a sacral building<br />
(3) impression of a historic building<br />
(4) perception of the events<br />
(5) perception of nightlife<br />
10. Leisure activities in nature (1) diversity of available activities<br />
(2) impression of the key recreational facility/resource<br />
in a destination<br />
11. Natural environment (1) protection and tidiness of natural environment in a destination<br />
(2) protection and tidiness of environment surrounding the destination<br />
For seven consecutive years (2007—2013), the quality of selected tourist destinations<br />
in Croatia was assessed using the proposed framework. Sampling of destinations<br />
was determined by geographical representation (coast, islands, inland) and the number<br />
of tourist beds. Approximately one hundred destinations (see Appendix) were visited<br />
each year during high season (July and August); the destination selection was provided<br />
by Croatian Chamber of Economy. Each destination was evaluated through a<br />
process of structured observation by two trained judges separately.<br />
The evaluation research resulted in establishing a large database on the quality of<br />
the tourism supply in Croatian tourist destinations. Additionally, destination ranking<br />
based on criteria of interest provided hierarchical grids that can serve as a quality con-<br />
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trol tool. If adequately interpreted, this data could be useful for various types of analysis<br />
that could help mainstream national tourism policy-makers and inform the national<br />
destination management practices.<br />
This becomes especially relevant when looking at the current state of Croatia’s<br />
tourism policy. It is obvious considerable improvement is required, and the country<br />
needs to urgently address a number of negative issues, such as environmental concerns,<br />
planning anomalies, waste and congestion (Kerr, 2003; Poljanec-BoriÊ, 2011,<br />
2012). In order for a policy to be regarded as a public policy, it must be processed, authorized<br />
or ratified by public agencies (Kerr, 2003). It is, therefore, rational to assume<br />
that communicating the results of the analysis could help inform the interested public<br />
and, thus, increase increase the national policy-makers' decision-making authority to<br />
deal with the negative issues.<br />
RESEARCH QUESTION /AIM<br />
Using the collected data at hand, the aim of the analysis presented in this paper is twofold.<br />
First, we wanted to verify whether Croatia’s general orientation toward seaside<br />
tourism is reflected in the higher quality of coastal and island destinations in comparison<br />
with inland destinations.<br />
Second, we wanted to determine if this orientation was sustainable: does high<br />
tourism intensity (in terms of number of bed places per inhabitant) 1 cause any negative<br />
effects on the quality of the tourist destinations as a by-product of overcapacity.<br />
Undoubtedly, tourist accommodation plays a vital role in destination quality, and the<br />
intensity of tourism can be a relevant indicator for describing a tourist destination’s development.<br />
However, very high tourism intensity may have negative consequences. For<br />
example, over-construction can increase pollution (e.g., in coastal waters resulting from<br />
sediment run-off, sewage, solid waste, etc.). If construction is not accompanied by<br />
measures relating to spatial and traffic planning, agriculture and forestry, environmental<br />
protection, use of resources and waste management, it may cause serious degradation<br />
in destination quality (European Environmental Agency, 2013). This issue is specifically<br />
relevant to coastal and island destinations and should be related to secondhome<br />
expansion in the Mediterranean regions (Roca, 2013). Undoubtedly, tourist accommodation<br />
plays a vital role in destination quality, and the intensity of tourism can<br />
be a relevant indicator for describing the development of a tourist destination.<br />
In addition, inappropriate construction permanently devastates the attractiveness<br />
of the environment (natural and cultural heritage) and mass tourism, especially during<br />
high season, can overload infrastructure in general. Taking all of this into account, a<br />
tourist destination’s quality can be greatly diminished as a result. A decrease in quality<br />
1 Number of tourist beds is used as a measure of the relative impact of tourism on residents’<br />
way of life (cf. https://observe.pt/wp-content/uploads/<strong>2018</strong>/05/ETIS-data-sheets-19. 2. 2016.pdf).<br />
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may, on the other hand, challenge a consumer’s loyalty and lead to a decrease in their<br />
average daily spending, thus negatively affecting the positive economic impact of tourism<br />
on local communities (Alegre & Juaneda, 2006).<br />
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION<br />
Destination Quality<br />
As described in the Introduction, measuring the quality of destinations was conducted<br />
for seven years by trained evaluators using a standardized protocol containing forty<br />
items grouped into eleven dimensions. Each item in the protocol was rated on a Likert-type<br />
scale ranging from 1 (Not at all satisfactory) to 5 (Excellent). The quality of a<br />
particular destination is calculated for each dimension as an average scale value of longitudinal<br />
rating, and the total score is calculated as an average of all ratings.<br />
Results of the evaluation, presented in Table 2, show that stronger tourism orientation<br />
(seen in seaside destinations) renders higher average ratings of destination quality<br />
— seaside destinations have received better overall quality scores (3.80) than inland<br />
destinations (3.29).<br />
Table 2 Average scores (for the period 2007—2013) obtained for the selected seaside and inland<br />
destinations based on the eleven evaluated dimensions of the tourism supply chain (M, 1—5)<br />
Dimension M seaside M inland<br />
Web Page Information 4.02 3.15<br />
Local Information Services 3.77 3.15<br />
Accommodation 3.83 3.04<br />
Traffic 3.80 3.31<br />
Catering Facilities 3.78 3.50<br />
Human Resources and Public Infrastructure 3.52 3.25<br />
Consumption of Goods 3.70 3.53<br />
Decorations 3.79 3.45<br />
Culture and Entertainment 3.61 3.01<br />
Leisure Activities in Nature 4.08 3.20<br />
Natural Environment 3.90 3.65<br />
Total 3.80 3.29<br />
In addition, comparisons of the average longitudinal scores obtained for the eleven<br />
evaluated dimensions of the tourism supply chain show that the inland destinations<br />
display lower ratings in each of the dimensions (ranging from 3.01 to 3.65) than the<br />
seaside destinations (3.52 to 4.08).<br />
These results suggest that the differences in the quality of seaside (coastal and island)<br />
versus inland destinations might be structurally determined due to a higher investment<br />
focus on the development of accommodation in Croatian coastal areas as well<br />
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as the more efficient collection of accommodation taxes 2 and monument annuities 3 in<br />
the coastal and island regions. In fact, all of the observed dimensions of the tourism<br />
supply chain represent are in fact proxies for elements of supply chain which are benefiting<br />
from various types of local government incentives.<br />
When looking at the content of the dimensions in Table 1, it can also be seen that<br />
destinations with a higher quality of tourism supply create better opportunities for tourists<br />
and, at the same time, these elements of tourist offer serve to improve the residents’<br />
quality of life. Namely, our research has shown that a high-quality tourist destination<br />
means better transport services and traffic solutions, higher quality of eating and drinking<br />
establishments, higher range and quality of activities in a destination (including<br />
sporting and recreational activities), better accessibility of tourism services to the disabled<br />
and to people with limited mobility (including the elderly and families with infants),<br />
more cultural events, a cleaner local environment, etc. Furthermore, the quality<br />
of tourist services may also have a broad impact on the host community. Tourism may<br />
provide higher employment rates, business growth and profitability as well as better<br />
opportunities for local residents who may gain access to a wider array of private sector<br />
goods and services, such as medical care, shopping and entertainment (Reeder &<br />
Brown, 2005; Uysal, Perdue, & Sirgy, 2012).<br />
This proposition is also supported by the findings of a study conducted by Kaliterna<br />
LipovËan, Brajπa-Æganec and Poljanec-BoriÊ (2014) examining the relationship between<br />
the quality of tourist destinations in Croatia and the subjective well-being of the<br />
people living in those destinations. Analyses were done on data collected in 2011 on<br />
2,171 residents (aged 15-64) from forty-one tourist destinations grouped into three categories<br />
according to the evaluated quality of tourism supply. The quality of a tourist<br />
destination was found to be related to both affective (happiness) and cognitive (life satisfaction,<br />
domain satisfactions) components of subjective well-being. Residents of destinations<br />
that were evaluated as having a higher tourism quality were happier and more<br />
satisfied with their lives in general, with their material status, personal health, achievements<br />
in life, relationships with family and friends, feelings of physical safety, acceptance<br />
by the community and future security than residents from destinations of medium<br />
and lower tourist quality. Hence, the study provided evidence that what is good for<br />
tourists is good for residents as well. It is, therefore, quite safe to assume that residents<br />
of seaside destinations in Croatia lead better lives than the residents of inland tourist<br />
destinations. This would suggest that an informed tourism public policy (Kerr, 2003)<br />
might help propel the quality performance of inland destinations towards the already<br />
existing seaside quality benchmarks. It would also be reasonable to assume that such<br />
an understanding of the impact of tourism on local quality of life would encourage pol-<br />
2 The financial volume of locally collected accommodation taxes is a function of the number of<br />
overnight stays in a particular destination, thus dependent on the size of the destination in terms<br />
of the number of beds.<br />
3 By the provisions of the Law on Protection and Preservation of Cultural Goods, collection of<br />
monument annuities is mandatory in Croatia (Official Gazette, 1999, 2013).<br />
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icy makers in inland destinations to transfer the know-how from coastal destination<br />
with more trust and expediency.<br />
When talking about the quality of tourism supply in destinations, it is safe to say<br />
that tourism in Croatia has two facets. One is coastal and island, with a significantly<br />
higher quality of tourism supply, and the other is inland, featuring lower quality of tourism<br />
offer. This alone should trigger some policy changes if policy-makers wish to tackle<br />
the issue of general national tourism quality standards in future.<br />
Relationship Between Tourism Intensity and Destination Quality<br />
The second question is whether such an obvious seaside orientation, as a relevant factor<br />
of the local economy and welfare, renders only favourable effects. This question<br />
primarily concerns the accommodation capacity as an indicator of tourism intensity in<br />
relation to the size of the population in a given destination. As mentioned earlier, high<br />
seasonality can lead to pressures on the destination in the form of overcrowding and<br />
potential resource shortages. Devastation of the local environment is also a possible<br />
outcome of over-capacitation and accommodation overload, as are setbacks in community<br />
functioning and, ultimately, tourist dissatisfaction with specific tourist services but<br />
also with the more intangible factors, such as hospitality, safety and security and cleanliness<br />
(Kerr, 2003; Roca, 2013). There is also the aspect of the local residents’ dissatisfaction<br />
with planning policies (Poljanec-BoriÊ, 2011, 2012).<br />
The main characteristics of the evaluated seaside and inland tourist destinations in<br />
Croatia regarding their accommodation capacities and tourism intensity are given in Table<br />
3. Census data (Croatian Boureau of Statistics, 2011) provides a clear image of the<br />
differences in tourism orientation of the selected destinations, showing greater tourist<br />
accommodation capacities and tourism intensity on seaside (coastal and island) destinations<br />
than on inland ones. Although inland destinations are, on average, more than<br />
four times larger than seaside ones, their capacities are ten times smaller (on average<br />
per destination). The tourism intensity indicator, calculated as the number of beds per<br />
inhabitant, is on average seven times higher for seaside than inland destinations (4.66<br />
versus 0.62).<br />
Table 3 Tourist accommodation capacity and tourism intensity in selected tourist destinations<br />
(Source: Croatian Bureau of Statistics, 2011)<br />
Destination: seaside inland<br />
Population Min 437 309<br />
Max 167 121 688 163<br />
Average (M) 12 382 55 212<br />
Number of bed places Min 2 340 121<br />
Max 35 834 11 807<br />
Average (M) 11 787 1129<br />
Tourism intensity indicator (number of Min 0.02 0.01<br />
bed places per inhabitant) Max 43.38 8.63<br />
Average (M) 4.66 0.62<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Figure 1 Relation between tourism intensity and tourism supply quality<br />
in the selected seaside and inland destinations<br />
The nature of the relation between tourism intensity and tourism supply quality is<br />
shown in Figure 1, separately for seaside and inland destinations. Figure 1 generally<br />
shows the negative relation between tourism intensity and destination quality, but this<br />
relation is non-linear.<br />
The highest average ratings of tourism supply quality are recorded in seaside destinations<br />
with the lowest ratio of accommodation capacities and population size (where<br />
the tourism intensity indicator is less than 1.5) — a situation characteristic of large and<br />
medium-sized towns along the Adriatic coast. Such destinations have good infrastructure<br />
(not exclusively associated with the tourism industry) and are easily accessible but<br />
not overcrowded; they offer a large range of activities, commercial tourist attractions,<br />
events and combined products, within and outside of the destination.<br />
A somewhat lower and relatively homogeneous plateau of quality is observed in<br />
other mixed-sized but generally smaller destinations than in those with the highest ratings.<br />
In this case, a range of 1.5 to 4.5 tourist bed places per inhabitant seems to be<br />
the optimal level of tourist exploitation. A further increase in the accommodation/population<br />
ratio leads to a decrease in tourism supply quality: more than 4.5 tourist beds<br />
per capita (of local inhabitants) indicates overexploitation, at least according to the data<br />
at hand.<br />
The infrastructural advantages of larger and mid-sized coastal towns can be applied<br />
to inland destinations as well. But, in case of inland destinations, the figure suggests<br />
that higher tourism intensity (measured as a number of tourist beds per capita)<br />
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improves the quality of the tourist destination, and continental tourist exploitation (especially<br />
in smaller destinations) is still sub-optimal.<br />
Results indicate that talking about sustainable seaside tourism in Croatia makes<br />
sense, but there is a need for more thorough research that should take into account the<br />
different types of overtourism related to: intensive and inappropriate construction (consequances<br />
are: permanent devastation of the environment as the main tourist resource,<br />
infrastructure overload (consequances are: high mentainance cost for local community<br />
and pollution) compromitation of brand (consequences are that “higher class” tourists<br />
avoid overcrowded destinations, at least for a longer stay; e.g. ©akiÊ, Rihtar & Crljen,<br />
2016).<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
The impact of tourism on national economies worldwide has led to a growing awareness<br />
of tourism stakeholders and the general public towards the importance of building<br />
quality and sustaining the competitiveness of tourism supply value chains. Quality<br />
has become the key element of a tourist destination’s competitiveness; therefore, all the<br />
elements of tourism supply should offer the highest possible level of quality of the tourism<br />
product. (Mazanec, Wöber & Zins, 2007).<br />
Using the available data, we sought a deeper understanding of the main attributes<br />
of Croatian tourism and of the far-reaching effects tourism orientation in Croatia could<br />
have on the country, with a special focus on the differences between seaside and inland<br />
destinations.<br />
First, we have shown that a strong tourism orientation and investing in tourism development<br />
in seaside destinations does render favourable effects on the whole. This resulted<br />
in higher ratings of destination quality not just regarding aspects most closely related<br />
to tourism supply, but also regarding those related to local infrastructure quality,<br />
the overall functioning of the community and the quality of life in general.<br />
Second, results suggest that high tourism intensity has certain negative effects and<br />
decreases the quality of the tourism supply in destinations, probably as a side-effect of<br />
accommodation overload. In view of the fact that the percentage of tourism impact on<br />
GDP is expected to continually rise (World Travel & Tourism Council, 2014), further<br />
investigation and monitoring of the impact of tourism intensity on the quality of tourism<br />
supply should be a welcomed public policy move in Croatia.<br />
Irrespective of the possible non-representative nature of the destinations used for<br />
this analysis, the selected destinations make up a highly relevant segment of the tourism<br />
industry in Croatia. The analysed sample contained a reasonably high number of<br />
relevant destinations, allowing us to safely assume that the observed trends (especially<br />
the ones depicting the effects of over-capacitation and accommodation overload)<br />
would not diverge even with a larger number of destinations added to the sample. The<br />
results are significant enough to stimulate an informed debate about the country’s future<br />
tourism development. Given that “quality” is becoming a key element of tourist<br />
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destination competitiveness, all elements of a destination’s tourism supply should offer<br />
the highest possible level of excellence in their specific tourism product (De Keyser &<br />
Vanhove, 1997; Keller, 1999; Mazanec, Wöber & Zins, 2007). Monitoring and evaluating<br />
tourist destinations based on a system of indicators that analyse the quality of the<br />
supply chain in a particular destination should, therefore, become an integral part of<br />
tourism public policies.<br />
It should also be stressed that there is a number of limitations to this short analysis<br />
that should be taken into account. Namely, destination quality was evaluated based<br />
on its tourism product without the accompanying data on tourist evaluations of the<br />
same destinations. An insight into a tourist perception of a tourist destination’s quality<br />
would certainly provide additional valuable information for assessing the quality of destinations<br />
and discriminating among them. Also, future research should include statistical<br />
data on tourism development in different parts of Croatia, which would reflect the<br />
actual impact of a specific destination on the local economy. This could help to better<br />
capture the possible drawbacks of tourism development on the quality of destinations.<br />
Further methodological improvements and modifications could help revise the<br />
here described quality measurement technique to an optimal tool for shaping tourism<br />
public policy (e.g., rating protocol should be more sensitive to objective shortcomings<br />
of smaller destinations; it should also take more in account the treatment of natural and<br />
cultural heritage as a main tourist resource, etc.).<br />
This could provide gradation and measured results at the level of a tourist destination<br />
as well as the possibility of comparing different destinations, regardless of their<br />
geographical position and resources endowment. Such a fine-tuned method could be<br />
instrumental not only for public policy in Croatia but also elsewhere.<br />
Appendix: evaluated destinations<br />
Inland: BaÊinska jezera, BizovaËke toplice, Bribir, Daruvarske toplice, Delnice,<br />
–akovo, Fuæine, GospiÊ, Ilok, Imotski, Karlovac, Knin, Krapinske toplice, Kriæevci, Labin,<br />
Lipik, Marija Bistrica, Ogulin, Osijek, Pazin, Plitvice, Poæega, Samobor, Sinj, Slavonski<br />
Brod, Slunj, StubiËke toplice, Tuheljske toplice, Varaædin, Varaædinske toplice, Vinkovci,<br />
Vukovar, Zagreb, Æminj.<br />
Seaside — coast: Baπka Voda, Biograd na Moru, Brela, Cavtat, Crikvenica,<br />
Dubrovnik, Faæana, Gradac, Lovran, Makarska, Medulin, Mlini, MoπÊeniÊka Draga, Nin,<br />
Novigrad, Novi Vinodolski, Omiπ, Opatija, OrebiÊ, Pakoπtane, Pirovac, Podgora, PoreË,<br />
Primoπten, Pula, Rabac, Rijeka, Rogoznica, Rovinj, Senj, Split, Ston, ©ibenik, Trogir,<br />
TuËepi, Umag, Vodice, Vrsar, Zadar.<br />
Seaside — islands: Baπka, Blato, Bol, Cres, Hvar, Jelsa, KorËula, Komiæa,<br />
Krk, Kukljica, Lopar, Lumbarda, Mali Loπinj, Malinska, Murter, Novalja, Osor, Pag, Punat,<br />
Rab, Silba, Stari Grad, Supetar, Vela Luka, Vis, Zlarin.<br />
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of the Croatian islands and other types of locations. In K. JurËeviÊ, LJ. Kaliterna LipovËan, &<br />
O. Ramljak (Eds.), Imagining the Mediterranean: Challenges and Perspectives (pp. 129-133).<br />
Zagreb: Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences & VERN.<br />
Uysal, M., Perdue, R. & Sirgy, J. (Eds.) (2012). Handbook of Tourism and Quality-of-Life Research:<br />
Enhancing the Lives of Tourists and Residents of Host Communities. New York: Springer. doi:<br />
Internet sources:European Tourism Indicator System. (<strong>2018</strong>). Available at:<br />
https://observe.pt/wp-content/uploads/<strong>2018</strong>/05/ETIS-data-sheets-19.2.2016.pdf<br />
World Travel & Tourism Council (2014). Travel & Tourism. Economic Impact 2014. Croatia.<br />
Available at http://www.wttc.org/research/economic-impact-research/country-reports/c/croatia<br />
182
Zvonimira Michieli TomiÊ: On the other side<br />
Sustainable<br />
Development,<br />
Public Services
Predrag BEJAKOVI∆, Æeljko MRNJAVAC<br />
LESSONS FROM LOCAL EMPLOYMENT<br />
POLICIES AND ACTIVITIES ON ISLANDS<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
The concept of the local employment policy (LEP) first appeared in the early 1990s<br />
when local and regional structures of human (intellectual) capital, organizational culture<br />
and tacit knowledge appeared to be the decisive factor for a more balanced regional<br />
development within Europe, allowing islands to catch up with the economic development<br />
of coastal regions. Therefore, research into intangibles (e.g. intellectual capital<br />
and organizational culture, including the collaboration and co-operation of local<br />
stakeholders) on islands might significantly contribute to the European and national cohesion<br />
policy as well as to the enhancement of employment possibilities on the islands.<br />
Job creation can be stimulated through a stable macroeconomic framework, but<br />
also through structural policies that encourage skills enhancement, innovation progress<br />
and business development. In order for the creation of new jobs to take place, economic<br />
entities need access to skilled people, business networks and finances. It is these<br />
factors that can lead to the possibility to start up and expand. Central governments<br />
manage a range of intertwined policies whose impact can reinforce each other and<br />
contribute to fulfilling economic potential, economic expansion and social cohesion at<br />
a local level. When national policies are flexible and adjustable, local-level stakeholders<br />
can improve integrated approaches to growth, maximising employment opportunities<br />
and helping to tackle inequalities and social exclusion in their communities (OECD,<br />
2014).<br />
The local employment policy denotes how companies, institutions and the government<br />
can together promote the employment process within a local and regional<br />
context. Geographic vicinity, common market opportunities, cultural and institutional<br />
similarities and proximity are adequate factors within a local area for the realisation of<br />
a successful employment policy. With easy access, better information, closer relationships,<br />
powerful incentives and other advantages that are difficult to achieve from a distance,<br />
a local employment policy and programmes can efficiently use locally available<br />
knowledge, relationships and motivation. The core of LEP is spatial proximity, which<br />
provides a basis for the integration of local stakeholders into a common process of a<br />
successful employment policy, supported by similar values, background and understanding<br />
of local circumstances where the population usually shares many historical,<br />
cultural and socio-political similarities. Success seems to reside in the relationships developed<br />
among the actors within the territory, which confirms the idea that network-<br />
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ing capability is an enhancer of efficient employment policy innovation. This can be<br />
supported by local innovation dynamics thanks to the diversity of knowledge spillover<br />
at local and regional levels (©varc and Laænjak, 2017).<br />
In this paper, we will present the experiences of local communities in improving<br />
the application of the local labour market measures that were easily implemented on<br />
the islands. Section 2 of this paper presents local initiatives for the development of the<br />
EU labour market. Section 3 explains insularity as a specific determinant of the local<br />
economy. Section 4 deals with the organisational structure of local institutions and the<br />
inclusion of local actors. And finally, Section 5 utilises the acquired information and<br />
knowledge regarding the development and enhancement of the local employment policies<br />
and applies it to the specific situation on Croatia’s islands.<br />
2. LOCAL INITIATIVES FOR DEVELOPING EMPLOYMENT IN THE EU<br />
The EU has launched various initiatives for improving the co-ordination and co-operation<br />
of local-level employment programmes. The main goal of these activities is to enable<br />
better utilization of EU Structural Funds on the local level, in particular the European<br />
Social Funds (ESF) that are mostly oriented at supporting unemployed workingabled<br />
people and various on- and off-the-job training programmes.<br />
After numerous local employment initiative programmes in the mid 1980s, Territorial<br />
Employment Pacts (TEPs) were signed in several European regions during the<br />
second part of the 1990s. These pacts had two main goals: the strengthening of structural<br />
policies for employment and the mobilisation of all regional actors in the reduction<br />
of unemployment. They followed four key principles: integration, partnership, innovation<br />
and the bottom-up approach. Up until the late 1990s, the EU was lacking the<br />
institutional framework that would enable individual initiatives to move towards a more<br />
strategic approach, where local actors could work together with clearly defined roles<br />
and responsibilities.<br />
In November 2001, the European Commission adopted a communication focusing<br />
on the local aspect of the European Employment Strategy (EES) titled “Strengthening<br />
the local dimension of the European Employment Strategy”. This document defined<br />
ways and means to aid local actors to participate in the EES in collaboration with national<br />
authorities and community institutions. Since the approval of the communication,<br />
the Commission has tried to develop a coherent strategy and specify the needs for the<br />
realisation of the EU’s priorities in the field of local employment. LEP measures are in<br />
line with the Europe 2020 strategy, particularly with the flagship initiatives “An Agenda<br />
for New Skills and Jobs” and the “European Platform against Poverty”. Their goals<br />
are to address significant geographic concentrations of unemployment through coordinated<br />
local actions, particularly for people with lower employability and “hard-toreach”<br />
people (e.g., the unemployed with low education levels or no qualifications at<br />
all, single parents, people providing care for children or the elderly and people with<br />
disabilities or health problems).<br />
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P. BejakoviÊ, Æ. Mrnjavac: Lessons from Local Employment Policies and Activities on Islands<br />
The EU has supported a wide range of experimental work in the development of<br />
local employment, including the Local Employment Development Action Programme,<br />
the Third Sector in the Implementation of Employment Programme, Territorial Employment<br />
Pacts, Local Social Capital Pilot Actions and Preparatory Measures for a Local<br />
Commitment to Employment. Local partnerships involved in local employment programmes<br />
can benefit from EU support in a number of ways. They can receive funding<br />
for their activities directly from EU programmes, especially from the European Structural<br />
and Investment Funds (ESI Funds).<br />
ESI Funds are used to boost jobs, growth and investment across Europe, while focusing<br />
on the least developed areas and sectors with growth potential. One particularly<br />
positive outcome was a programme called Porta Futuro (http://europa.eu/!ng47Pt<br />
and https://www.portafuturo.it), a counselling, training and job-search centre that<br />
helped some 36,500 unemployed individuals find jobs thanks to ESF support between<br />
July 2011 and December 2014. Porta Futuro has a matching ratio of 33% for its users<br />
and has become an example model for public employment services in Italy. Its success<br />
is grounded on its personal relationship between counsellors and clients and a strong<br />
partnership with local enterprises (the European Commission, 2015). Moreover, the European<br />
Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) promotes the sustainable development and<br />
profitability of the sector by supporting initiatives from beneficiaries. Support can also<br />
be used to invest in alternative activities that could create local jobs and growth. Community-Led<br />
Local Development (CLLD) strategies encourage technological progress and<br />
innovation, adding value to fisheries and aquaculture products.<br />
Various EU funds and programmes also encourage diversification, thus supporting<br />
job creation in coastal areas. Having in mind the circumstances of urban or rural regions,<br />
the so-called “lagging regions”, transition regions and regions with permanent<br />
natural or geographical adverse positions (like islands) appropriate additional support,<br />
and policies are drawn up for the development of these areas (Committee on Regional<br />
Development, 2016). Furthermore, the European Parliament has underlined the importance<br />
of adjustments to ESI Funds that will enhance their applicability to the islands<br />
as a type of outermost region, boosting the economy and local employment in areas<br />
that are considered unfavourable due to their distance, remoteness, dispersion and<br />
small size. These areas consequently require particular attention in relation to creating<br />
and preserving jobs.<br />
The Mutual Learning Programme Peer Review (2011) emphasises the importance<br />
of developing local employability pathways as focal points for a successful realisation<br />
of LEPs. Along with service mapping, they provide a possibility of evaluating partnership<br />
starting points, of considering the specific needs of disengaged groups, of identifying<br />
delivery of available services that meet these needs, of establishing gaps and of<br />
taking appropriate developmental action; this means a new conceptualisation and implementation<br />
of holistic services to achieve or enhance employability. These measures<br />
incorporate the reduction of overlaps and duplications and ensure that all actors and<br />
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responsible organisations know and fully comprehend what is being delivered and by<br />
whom. Vital issues to be considered are an optimal organisational structure of local institutions<br />
and efficient inclusion of local actors, which will be analysed in the next section.<br />
3. INSULARITY AS A SPECIFIC DETERMINANT OF<br />
LOCAL ECONOMY<br />
Insularity is not a mere geographical condition, but can be regarded as a permanent<br />
determinant of economic and social peripheralization that prevents islands to reach<br />
economic development similar to the mainland (Deidda, 2016). Geographical permanent<br />
features such as low accessibility and small size have a strong adverse impact on<br />
the economic and social development of islands (Eurisles 2002; Planistat 2002; CEC<br />
1994). The small size of a market and lower competition affect the prospect of production<br />
as well as working and living conditions.<br />
Insularity combines two seemingly opposing aspects of isolation from and integration<br />
with the outside world. Throughout history, such integration was determined by<br />
shipping technology and the general structure of islands’ economies. In the preindustrial<br />
period, the insular dichotomy of isolation and connectivity can be recognised as a<br />
factor that helped the development of insular economy, as islands took on the role of<br />
anchorages and trading posts that were necessary for maritime routes. On the one<br />
hand, isolation promoted a self-sufficient economy oriented at the domestic population,<br />
but on the other hand, maritime transport allowed insular economies to reach markets<br />
for their traditional products far larger than would have been possible in the peripheral<br />
regions on the mainland. There is an explicit partition between production for the<br />
subsistence of an island’s population and a prominence of niche products for the outside<br />
world. This had become much more important for the insular economy than could<br />
be expected only from their intrinsic value.<br />
Thanks to their own natural specificities, islands have original products to offer.<br />
Some islands become popular by the specialised production of certain commodities<br />
destined for a wide market. Not only were islands more productive than similar environments<br />
on the mainland, their insular location offered possibilities for distribution.<br />
For example, the island of BraË has been known from ancient history for quarries and<br />
processing of marble, the island of Vis for fish and the island of Pag for the production<br />
of cheese and salt. Almost all islands had a period when they specialised in viticulture<br />
for export.<br />
To a varying degree, European islands face a number of handicaps compared to<br />
their mainland counterparts, including limited accessibility, isolation, high dependence<br />
on a narrow range of economic activities and tiny internal markets. Furthermore, the<br />
islands’ small size means that they have fewer resources available and, thus, the need<br />
to use these resources in a sensible and sustainable manner assumes an even higher<br />
degree of urgency than in larger mainland regions (ESPON, 2011). The establishment<br />
of competitive economic activities on islands is a demanding and complex task, prima-<br />
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rily because the islands are mostly characterised as unattractive for an active population.<br />
This essentially leads to a stark reduction in the island’s socioeconomic base and<br />
causes further divergence from the national mainland and EU goals for economic, social<br />
and territorial cohesion (ESPON, 2013).<br />
Although islands in the EU face a wide variety of situations and conditions, they<br />
share very similar and specific social, environmental and economic problems ESPON<br />
(2011). Most EU islands lag behind their national entities as far as GDP is concerned.<br />
In a significant number of islands, the public sector is an important source of employment,<br />
which leads to higher per capita costs of essential services, although such factors<br />
hinder the stronger development of the private sector. In a sectoral structure the<br />
predominant activities are those marked as low value, particularly services in the tourism<br />
sector. The share of population employed in the secondary sector is usually significantly<br />
lower than on the mainland. The unemployment rate is generally higher, and<br />
the employment rate is lower than that on the mainland, especially for young people<br />
and females.<br />
Croatian islands show the same characteristics and share similarities in historical<br />
development with other EU Mediterranean islands. Using preindustrial advantages,<br />
their population grew until the beginning of the 20th century, while primary sector industries<br />
were the main economic activity. Structural changes in the Croatian economy<br />
have caused the islands to assume a different role, and the majority of islands leaned<br />
on tourism as the main source of development. Monoculture cannot stop outgoing migration,<br />
so islands have often become second-home destinations. Despite the situation<br />
mentioned above, it is important to remember, that local communities on islands are<br />
often more homogeneous than on the mainland since a much higher percentage of the<br />
population is living in their place of their birth. That is why strong local identity still<br />
exists among islanders, which is a social capital that can be used in promoting valorisation<br />
of local human capital.<br />
Insularity is determined by its three main dimensions, which are intertwined and<br />
mutually reinforce each other. These are smallness, remoteness and vulnerable environmental<br />
and cultural heritage.<br />
Smallness, one of the most preponderant features of islands, can be seen as a disadvantage<br />
but can also be an asset. Smallness implicates limited domestic market size,<br />
which leads to production that is lower than the minimum efficiency scale and with<br />
high input prices and high infrastructural, administrative and other overhead costs.<br />
Higher costs of living due to insularity affect both residents and businesses. On the other<br />
hand, smallness can create certain advantageous characteristics: greater social homogeneity<br />
and cohesion, a strong sense of identity and stronger ties between local actors<br />
and greater flexibility and decision-making efficiency as a result.<br />
Remoteness implies difficulties in transportation and communication as islands are<br />
constrained sea transport. Therefore, provision of supplies may be characterized by a<br />
higher degree of uncertainty than on the mainland.<br />
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The environmental and cultural heritage of islands increases their attractiveness as<br />
tourist destinations, often causing islands to become dependent on a seasonal tourism<br />
industry (Gloersen et al., 2012). On the other hand, activities such as tourism, fisheries<br />
and farming often constitute a mono-activity without alternatives, thus increasing the<br />
islands’ vulnerability.<br />
Moreover, islands are characterized by outmigration. Indeed, even though the environmental<br />
and cultural heritage and social capital endowment (preserved traditions,<br />
tightly-knit communities) are important determinants when it comes to choice of residence,<br />
they cannot compensate for the lack of job opportunities and limited access to<br />
services that are characteristic of these islands (Gloersen et al., 2012). Migration patterns<br />
can also affect labour market characteristics. A small population not only limits<br />
the size of the local market, but also places strict limits on the local labour supply. This<br />
can, of course, be supplemented by in-migration — many islands do seek to attract<br />
both seasonal and permanent migrants, but in practice there are limits to how far this<br />
can be taken. Additionally, outmigration from islands in search of better employment<br />
opportunities or lifestyle is frequently disproportionately made up of younger and better<br />
educated persons, leaving many islands with an ageing population. At the same<br />
time, the attractiveness of islands for retirees, and for second-home owners exacerbates<br />
labour supply constraints (Armstrong at al., 2014).<br />
Social capital can be seen as a key factor in promoting the right environment for<br />
the development of economic activity, improving social cohesion and enhancing trust.<br />
However, high social capital endowment alone may not compensate for the lack of educational<br />
and employment opportunities for younger people. In this regard, specific<br />
policy measures should be implemented to foster the return of graduates, stem outmigration<br />
and generally contribute to enhancing the quality of life (Gloersen et al., 2012).<br />
The traditional view of insularity as a mere disadvantage may stem indeed from<br />
unexploited opportunities deriving from a “lack of local coherence between natural resources,<br />
human capital and the institutional context” (Gloersen et al., 2012). Thus, there<br />
is a need to go beyond traditional compensation policies directed towards offsetting island<br />
disadvantages, accepting the two-sided nature of insularity and transforming insularity<br />
into an asset creating a great potential for growth. During this process, the important<br />
issues of adequate organisational structure of local institutions and efficient inclusion<br />
of local actors must be considered.<br />
4. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE OF LOCAL INSTITUTIONS AND<br />
INCLUSION OF LOCAL ACTORS<br />
There is no single and uniform everlasting framework of an ideal combination of partners<br />
and local institutional organisations. Membership can differ from one locality to<br />
another, which is why various organisational structures, roles and responsibilities exist.<br />
Some actors may participate in the creation and implementation of the measures during<br />
the whole process from beginning to end, while others may only be active as con-<br />
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sultees in a particular phase of the project. The key is to maintain wide consultation<br />
with a broad scope of relevant stakeholders as well as to ensure an efficient decisionmaking<br />
process. The island policy in Finland is considered a positive example as one<br />
of the oldest elements of regional policy. The Finnish government appointed a longterm<br />
committee to address issues relating to islands as early as 1949. The duties on the<br />
Island Committee were specified by decree in 1961 and the Island Development Act<br />
entered into force in 1981. The Island Development Programme, approved by the government<br />
or a ministry, has been the main tool in the implementation of the island policy<br />
(Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland, 2017).<br />
The partnership should include all local actors with the knowledge and willingness<br />
to participate in the development and enhancement of the local labour market.<br />
This might include regional and local authorities as well as local employers and representatives<br />
from the not-for-profit sector. The most important organisations are public<br />
employment service branch offices that help match business needs with local labour<br />
markets and institutions focused on training, skills and education to help both the unemployed<br />
and employed improve their employability by providing lifelong learning<br />
and training programmes. Other organisations that should not be forgotten are local development<br />
associations and agencies, social partner organisations (have a role in<br />
strengthening labour force adaptability and assuring equal opportunities in the employment<br />
world), non-governmental organisations and professional organisations. More diverse<br />
local partnerships and related economies with complex supply chains and strong<br />
links to markets are particularly likely to support the creation of new jobs through the<br />
development of new products and services (OECD, 2014). Close local collaboration of<br />
various actors leads to a more accurate analysis of regional experiences in combatting<br />
unemployment and social exclusion and to a better understanding of what economic<br />
entities, particularly SMEs, are facing in their attempts to increase productivity and competitiveness.<br />
The analysis by the Cook Islands Government (2015) can be taken as a<br />
valuable sample of information on the labour force and economic activity with the goal<br />
to establish an evidence base for employment policy measures.<br />
Formal partnerships could be useful platforms for establishing a common approach,<br />
but there is a risk of becoming institutionalised and process-oriented rather<br />
than result-oriented. Ongoing informal communication between local organisations can<br />
sometimes be more effective in creating local social capital, lowering transaction costs<br />
and installing a willingness to jointly decide on daily tasks and problems (Froy and Giguère,<br />
2010). It is crucial to have a clear division of authority and responsibility as well<br />
as constant enhancement in the system of reporting and evaluation. The Falkland Islands<br />
Economic Development Strategic Direction (Falkland Islands Chamber of Commerce,<br />
2010) can be taken as an example of an encouraging blueprint for comprehensive<br />
economic development with a vitally holistic approach to the inclusion of various<br />
partners and a clear division of authority and responsibility.<br />
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5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS<br />
Islands, especially small ones, are viewed as a disadvantage with respect to both the<br />
mainland and the peripheral regions. Being a geographical permanent condition, the<br />
economic consequences of insularity cannot be completely eliminated but only mitigated<br />
through adequate policy interventions. Insularity, like other geographic specificities,<br />
can be regarded as an asset, rather than a disadvantage. So, there is a need to go beyond<br />
the traditional compensation policies, accepting the two-sided nature of insularity<br />
and transforming insularity into an asset with great potential for socio-economic<br />
growth based on specific local social and human capital.<br />
Regarding the implementation of local employment policies and measures on islands<br />
in Croatia and other countries, it is crucial to establish and enhance co-operation<br />
between the public employment services and active local initiatives, especially for the<br />
long-term unemployed and unemployed recipients in the system of social welfare. In<br />
this process, it is recommended that the best experiences and practices are applied<br />
from various programmes in different countries. As a future development and co-operation<br />
plan, a governing body of local measures could be located in a centre for social<br />
work where it will be necessary to organise an autonomous help-to-work department.<br />
This department’s activities could cover a whole range of counselling and mediation<br />
services for the unemployed recipients of social assistance. The service should be an<br />
active one, where the counsellors would intensely spend time persuading employers<br />
in the local labour market to employ people who have been without jobs for a long<br />
period of time.<br />
There are many important activities for partners on the local level. Most commonly<br />
they include successful matching of unemployed people and available job openings,<br />
pre-employability support and removal of the labour market barrier, customer referrals<br />
and engagement, provision of training, vocational and educational activities and more.<br />
Better matching services primarily mean that governments have been organising activities<br />
to efficiently and quickly match jobless people to new jobs through local “mobility<br />
centres” or “one-stop shops”. In some countries the private sector and the unions<br />
have been directly and strongly involved in initiatives to better facilitate “unemployment-to-work”<br />
and “work-to-work” transitions.<br />
Regarding pre-employability support and removal of the labour market barrier, a<br />
very positive example is Croatia and its mobile teams initiated by the Croatian Employment<br />
Service (CES). For the purpose of ensuring support to workers covered by redeployment<br />
programmes, regardless of whether their employment was terminated for restructuring,<br />
organisational or economic reasons, mobile teams were formed within the<br />
CES. They are composed of numerous career development professionals: employment<br />
counsellors, psychologists, lawyers and other professionals if necessary. The purpose<br />
of mobile teams is to prepare the redundant workers for the labour market and act on<br />
their behalf while they are still employed in their respective companies in order to reduce<br />
the number of persons entering the register of unemployed persons. Mobile cen-<br />
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tres are established in companies with surplus employees, and mobile teams carry out<br />
their activities as long as there is a need to.<br />
Investment in education and training is aimed at helping the unemployed in reeducation,<br />
skilling and training for employment in new and emerging sectors. Such retraining<br />
is particularly important on islands that are identified as “problem regions”.<br />
However, the island communities have been focusing more and more on broader<br />
schemes to upgrade skills and keep people economically active, particularly the youth.<br />
Furthermore, on many islands there is limited practical and professional guidance for<br />
business start-ups and a lack of one-stop/pro-active business advisory services for entrepreneurs<br />
and investors. In terms of attracting new businesses, while the islands offer<br />
a relatively open economy, more business support for businesses with an improved<br />
investment climate and simple and stable legal framework can facilitate the attraction<br />
of more development-friendly capital.<br />
National and local governments have sought to build capacities at the local level<br />
to deal with the increasing numbers of active job seekers. Their goal is to increase local<br />
co-ordination to create a joint approach to rebuilding local economies. This primarily<br />
means mapping all relevant services with the goal to ensure that all stakeholders<br />
and potential beneficiaries comprehend the collective service offer, for example, the<br />
establishment of service directories and databases. Mutual activities are also used to<br />
plan new services and enhance referrals within and between various institutions and<br />
services. Furthermore, one vital activity is developing shared local management information<br />
systems with the intention of improving client tracking and recording the impact<br />
of local partner interventions.<br />
Positive results can be achieved only with successful collaboration and constant<br />
co-operation, which arises from the willingness of local participants to interact. Successful<br />
locally-based collaboration depends on the development of links between a decentralized<br />
government and local business communities to monitor the labour market<br />
policy measures. These relationships and inter-organizational links are vital factors in<br />
the facilitation of mutual understanding, trust and continued willingness to participate.<br />
Centrally enforced or mandated collaboration cannot be successful without the willingness<br />
of local partners to interact.<br />
Local and regional frameworks are the settings where “coalitions of purpose” can<br />
be effectively built across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, with local actors<br />
often building long-term relationships with each other based on proximity and exchange.<br />
Partnerships at a local and national level can often help formalise this process.<br />
There is an obvious need to make national employment and training policy frameworks<br />
more adaptable to local labour market needs and conditions. It should be possible for<br />
the local branches of public employment services and training organisations to influence<br />
the strategic orientations in the implementation of programmes, while they remain<br />
fully accountable and efficient. During these processes it is necessary to combine avail-<br />
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able resources to support new services in response to identified gaps — using local<br />
and national funding to access and match by EU funds.<br />
Finally, orientation towards training, education and placement should not look at<br />
short-term results, instead, the focus should be on the long-term sustainable outcome.<br />
Short-term orientation may produce immediate efficiency gains, but in the longer term<br />
it may not be the best way of building a more adaptable, employable and inclusive labour<br />
force. The attention towards a more sustainable and long-term outcome in terms<br />
of job retention and career progression often requires both intensive investment and<br />
sustained support in order to achieve positive career outcomes. Longer-term investment<br />
may be needed now to create more sustainable outcomes in the future. Fostering a positive<br />
image of islands as a favourable place for business (nationally and internationally)<br />
and installing an effective and efficient business incentive regime augmented by<br />
supportive advice and infrastructure resources, can have a great long-term benefit. In<br />
these processes, successful and efficient local employment policies and activities are of<br />
crucial importance.<br />
References<br />
Armstrong, H.; Ballas, D.; Staines, A. (2014). A comparative classification of labour market<br />
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Committee on Regional Development (2016). Report on investing in jobs and growth-maximising<br />
the contribution of European Structural and Investment Funds, Brussels: The European<br />
Parliament.<br />
Cook Islands Government (2015). Economic Activity and Labour Force Analysis of the 2011<br />
Population, Avarua, Rarotonga: Cook Islands Government.<br />
Deidda, M. (2016). Insularity and economic development: a survey, International Review of<br />
Economics, 63 (2), pp. 107-128.<br />
Eurisles (2002). Off the coast of Europe: European construction and the problem of the islands,<br />
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at https://europeansmallislands.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/off-the-coast-of-europe.pdf<br />
Eurostat (1999). Portrait of the Islands. Office of the Official Publications of the European<br />
Communities, Luxembourg.<br />
Falkland Islands Chamber of Commerce, (2010). Falkland Islands Economic Development Strategy,<br />
Strategic Direction, Stanley: Falkland Islands Chamber of Commerce.<br />
Froy, F., Giguère, S. (2010). Putting in Place Jobs that Last: A Guide to Rebuilding Quality<br />
Employment at Local Level, OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED)<br />
Working Papers, No. 2010/13, Paris: OECD Publishing. doi: 10.1787/5km7jf7qtk9p-en<br />
Froy, F., Giguère, S., Meghnagi, M. (2012). Skills for Competitiveness: A Synthesis Report, OECD<br />
Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Working Papers, No. 2012/09, Paris:<br />
OECD Publishing.<br />
Gloersen, E., Michelet. J. F., Corbineau, C., Giraut, F., Price, MF., Borowski, D., Schuiling, R. (2012).<br />
GEOSPECS European perspectives on specific types of territories, ESPON programme, ESPON<br />
& University of Geneva.<br />
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Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland (2017). Rural and island policy, Helsinki:<br />
Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland.<br />
Mutual Learning Programme Database of National Labour Market Practices (2011). United Kingdom<br />
— Local Employability Partnerships (LEPs). Brussels: The European Commission.<br />
OECD (2014). Effective local strategies to boost quality job creation, employment, and participation,<br />
Report prepared for the G20 Labour and Employment Ministerial Meeting Melbourne,<br />
Australia, 10-11 September 2014.<br />
Planistat (2002). Analyse des régions insulaires de l’Union Européenne (Survey of insular regions of<br />
the EU). In Interreg Project, Brussels: European Commission, DG Regio.<br />
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medieval and early modern Europe, and beyond. The International Journal of Maritime<br />
History, 26(3), pp. 494-511<br />
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Zagreb: Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar.<br />
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Islands and Cohesion Policy (EUROISLANDS) Final Report, Territorial Impact Assessment.<br />
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to the 10 Commission Priorities Jobs, Growth and Investment, Brussels: The European<br />
Commission.<br />
195
Toni BABAROVI∆, Ljiljana KALITERNA LIPOV»AN,<br />
Andreja BRAJ©A-ÆGANEC, Joπko ZEKAN<br />
LIFE SATISFACTION IN THE<br />
MEDITERRANEAN: THE CRADLE OF<br />
EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION WITH<br />
UNHAPPY NEW GENERATIONS<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
People intuitively believe that living in the Mediterranean part of Europe contributes to<br />
a better quality of life and better subjective well-being. Quote from one blog on the Internet<br />
explains: “... despite all its modern issues, quibbles, and problems, the Mediterranean<br />
is still one of the healthiest, happiest, cleanest, and nicest places to live on<br />
Earth, thanks to thousands of years of culture and history being handed down from<br />
generation to generation regarding diet and a balanced lifestyle, not to mention exceptional<br />
climate and natural beauty...” (PacificPrime.com, 2013). The Mediterranean is<br />
simply a symbol of culture, good food, friendly people, family life and healthy lifestyles<br />
which should lead to high quality of life. But is it really so?<br />
Scientific literature shows that there are proven benefits of Mediterranean lifestyle:<br />
traditional Mediterranean diet is the ideal dietary pattern for the prevention of cardiovascular<br />
disease (Martinez-Gonzales, 2016); prevention of gastric cancer (StojanoviÊ et<br />
al., 2017) as well as obesity and its health risks. Consequently, this diet was found to<br />
be associated with longer life expectancy (Trichopoulou & Vasilopoulou, 2000). Historic<br />
and natural heritage attractions are considered another benefit of the Mediterranean<br />
area that attracts billions of tourists to visit this area. However, life surrounded by<br />
such proven benefits can be perceived and experienced differently by visitors and inhabitants.<br />
Visitors perceive the coastline and relative isolation, especially on islands, to<br />
be an advantage in comparison to busy urbanised continental areas. The question arises<br />
how do Mediterranean people perceive their own life and how do they evaluate it<br />
when compared to people living in continental areas of Europe.<br />
A commonly accepted way of measuring quality of life and comparing it between<br />
societies, nations and regions in the contemporary world is by measuring subjective<br />
well-being (SWB). SWB is defined as people’s overall evaluations of their lives and their<br />
emotional experiences. It includes broad appraisals, such as life satisfaction, and specific<br />
feelings that reflect how people are reacting to the events and circumstances in<br />
their lives (Diener, 2016). In recent years, an increasing number of disciplines have explored<br />
the determinants of SWB. We can distinguish between three different groups of<br />
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determinants of SWB. The first one includes individual socio-demographic characteristics<br />
such as age, gender, education, marital status and personality. The second group<br />
includes socio-economic factors such as relationships, income, social class, and employment<br />
status. The third one consists of macroeconomic variables such as GDP, unemployment<br />
rate, inflation, political freedom etc. Based on a systematic review of research,<br />
Diener and Seligman (2004) offered a formula for high well-being that includes<br />
(a) living in democratic and stable society, (b) having supportive friends and family, (c)<br />
being reasonably healthy, (d) having adequate income and rewarding and engaging<br />
job, (e) having important goals related to one’s values and (f) having a philosophy or<br />
religion that provides guidance, purpose and meaning in life.<br />
Comparisons of SWB in countries around the world published yearly since 2012<br />
in World Happiness Reports (Hallivell, Layard & Sachs, 2019) show systematically that<br />
the happiest countries in the world are Scandinavian countries: Finland, Denmark,<br />
Sweden and Norway. Comparisons within Europe also show that Scandinavian countries<br />
are at the top by SWB evaluations (Eurostat, 2019a, Eurofound, 2017). It seems<br />
that traditional stereotypes suggesting that southern Europeans are happier and more<br />
satisfied with life than their northern European counterparts may not correspond to the<br />
facts.<br />
THE AIM OF THE STUDY<br />
The aim of this study was to empirically compare subjective well-being (happiness, life<br />
satisfaction and domain satisfaction) between the Mediterranean and other EU countries,<br />
based on the data from European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS). The comparisons<br />
were made before and after controlling for covariates that can affect subjective wellbeing<br />
over and beyond social, cultural, climatological and geographical differences.<br />
The relevant covariates represented in the EQLS data and encompassed in this survey<br />
were economic deprivation, satisfaction with public services and equalized monthly income.<br />
Furthermore, the relative contribution of quality of life domains in predicting<br />
group membership (the Mediterranean vs. Non-Mediterranean), after controlling the covariates<br />
was examined.<br />
METHODOLOGY<br />
The data from the European Quality of Life Survey — EQLS (round 4) were used in<br />
this research 1 . The EQLS is a survey of the adult population (18+) living in private<br />
households, based on a statistical sample and covering a cross-section of society. Depending<br />
on the country size and national arrangements, the round 4 sample ranged<br />
from 1,000 to 2,000 people per country. The EQLS was carried out as face-to-face in-<br />
1 European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, EQLS Integrated<br />
Trend Data File, 2003—2016 [SPSS file: EQLS trend dataset — 4 waves — all countries]. Colchester,<br />
Essex: UK Data Archive [distributor], March <strong>2018</strong>. SN: 7348.<br />
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terviews in people’s homes using computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI), and<br />
covered a comprehensive list of questions regarding their quality of life. The EQLS<br />
round 4 was carried out from September 2016 to March 2017 in all EU Member States<br />
and the five candidate countries (Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,<br />
Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey). High standards of quality assurance were applied<br />
to all stages of the survey’s implementation (Eurofound 2017).<br />
PARTICIPANTS<br />
Representative samples of the adult population within the countries were used. For the<br />
purpose of this study, the cross-national population weights were applied for combining<br />
two specific country subgroupings (the Mediterranean vs. Non-Mediterranean countries).<br />
After the weighting procedure, the total final sample included 36,908 participants,<br />
from which 20,415 participants were from Non-Mediterranean countries and 16,493 respondents<br />
were from Mediterranean countries. Non-Mediterranean countries included:<br />
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,<br />
Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal,<br />
Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, United Kingdom, FYR of Macedonia & Serbia. Mediterranean<br />
countries included: Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Albania,<br />
Montenegro, Turkey & Cyprus. The age of respondents varied from 18 to 95 with an<br />
average of 48 years (M = 48.14, SD = 18.08). The respondents were equally distributed<br />
by gender (51.6% female).<br />
MEASURES<br />
The subjective well-being was measured by two single item scales and a multi-item<br />
scale measuring domain-level life satisfaction. Single items scales asked people to rate<br />
their global life satisfaction (“All things considered, how satisfied would you say you<br />
are with your life these days?), and general happiness (“Taking all things together, how<br />
happy would you say you are?”), on 10-point end-defined response scales, ranging<br />
from 1 (very dissatisfied/very unhappy) to 10 (very satisfied/very happy). For the multi-item<br />
scale, six domain level representation of life satisfaction was used. The domains<br />
were: Education satisfaction, Job satisfaction, Standard of living satisfaction, Accommodation<br />
satisfaction, Family satisfaction and Local area satisfaction. The scale begins with<br />
the question “How satisfied you are with each of the following items?” and follows<br />
with: “Your education; your present job; your present standard of living; your accommodation;<br />
your family life; local area”.<br />
The deprivation index measures the average number of items a household cannot<br />
afford. This index is calculated as the average number of items that a respondent’s<br />
household cannot afford if they wanted to buy them, from the following list: a) keeping<br />
your home adequately warm; b) paying for a week’s annual holiday away from<br />
home (not staying with relatives); c) replacing any worn out furniture; d) a meal with<br />
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meat, chicken, fish every second day if wanted; e) buying new, rather than secondhand,<br />
clothes; and f) having friends or family for a drink or meal at least once a month.<br />
The index value can range from zero to six, where a larger number indicates higher<br />
material deprivation of the household.<br />
The Public Services Index is the overall measure of satisfaction with public services<br />
within the country. It covers six types of public services: education, healthcare,<br />
public transport, childcare, care for the elderly, and pension systems. Respondents rate<br />
these types of public services on a 10-point scale, with 1 denoting the lowest rating<br />
and 10 the highest. The Public Service Index is calculated as an average rating given<br />
by a respondent on these six items.<br />
Both of the indices were proved to be valid and reliable measures of financial deprivation<br />
and satisfaction with public services, which is reported in other studies based<br />
on EQLS results (e.g. Rose & Newton, 2010; Eurofound, 2014)<br />
Equalised monthly household income in PPP euros was used as a comparable relative<br />
measure of available monthly economic resources of respondents in this study.<br />
The equalised household income is an indicator of the economic resources available<br />
to each member of a household. It is the total income of a household, after tax and<br />
other deductions, which is available for spending or saving, divided by the number of<br />
household members converted into equalised adults. The household members are<br />
equalised or made equivalent by weighting each according to their age, using the<br />
OECD equivalence scale. For comparisons across geographical areas in the same time<br />
period, income data should also be adjusted by the differences in price levels by country.<br />
Thus, purchasing power parities (PPPs) is a measure of the relative prices of goods<br />
and services that are likely to be purchased for consumption. PPPs are regularly compiled<br />
by OECD and Eurostat statistics.<br />
STATISTICAL PROCEDURES<br />
Statistical software SPSS v23 was used for the data analysis. The participants that had<br />
missing results in particular variable were excluded from analysis using listwise deletion.<br />
The ANOVA and ANCOVA procedures were used to determine the difference in<br />
quality of life between groups of respondents living in Mediterranean and Non-Mediterranean<br />
countries, before and after the control for covariates, respectively. Before<br />
running the analysis, the assumptions for ANOVA were checked. There were no significant<br />
outliers, the distributions of the dependent variables in respected groups were approximately<br />
normal and the conditions of homogeneity of variances between the<br />
groups were met. Because of multiple well-being measures used in this study, we applied<br />
the significance level of .01 to test each individual hypothesis. Additionally, the<br />
hierarchical logistic regression was applied to test the relative contribution of quality of<br />
life domains in predicting group membership (Mediterranean vs. Non-Mediterranean).<br />
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RESULTS<br />
The results in Table 1 demonstrate the difference between Mediterranean and Non-<br />
Mediterranean countries in different quality of life measures. The systematic means differences<br />
observed in the table indicate that respondents from Mediterranean countries<br />
report lower quality of life compared with those living in Non-Mediterranean countries.<br />
The raw group means’ comparison revealed the biggest difference in life satisfaction (F<br />
= 1020.86; p < .01; h 2 = .03), happiness (F = 1017.95; p < .01; h 2 = .03), and satisfaction<br />
with standard of living (F = 1002.78; p < .01; h 2 = .03). The smallest, but still significant<br />
differences were found in satisfaction with job (F = 249.75; p < .01; h 2 = .01),<br />
and family life (F = 550.61; p < .01; h 2 = .02). However, it should be noted that even<br />
though all of the differences in quality of life aspects are significant, the effects sizes<br />
(eta squared) are all below .03, so the group differences can be interpreted as small<br />
(Cohen, 1988).<br />
The right side of the table 1 refers to the results of the covariance analysis, where<br />
the group means differences were controlled for the following covariates: Deprivation<br />
index, Public services index, and Equalized monthly income (PPP). First, we have to<br />
refer to the statistical relevance of the covariates, which is demonstrated by a significant<br />
difference between the Mediterranean and Non-Mediterranean countries on the<br />
covariates (Table 1). The biggest difference was found in the deprivation index (F =<br />
78.39; p < .01; h 2 = .03), indicating that households in the Mediterranean, in average,<br />
cannot afford more of the essential items than those in Non-Mediterranean countries.<br />
The differences in satisfaction with public services and monthly income also revealed<br />
that Mediterranean people had lower income and were less satisfied with public services.<br />
After the control for these covariates, the group differences in quality of life between<br />
the Mediterranean and Non-Mediterranean countries persist. The observed differences<br />
were smaller comparing to raw ANOVA results, but were still significant (p <<br />
.01), with the small effect sizes, up to h 2 = .02.<br />
The results of the hierarchical logistic regression are presented in Table 2. The logistic<br />
regression was applied to test the relative contribution of quality of life domains<br />
in predicting group membership (Mediterranean vs. Non-Mediterranean). Two logistic<br />
regressions were conducted. The first one included all quality of life domains as predictors,<br />
and therefore only employed respondents, those of them which answered the<br />
question related to satisfaction with their job, were included. The second one included<br />
all predictors, except job satisfaction, and included all participants in the sample.<br />
The second analysis results are presented in brackets.<br />
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Table 1 Quality of life differences between respondents living in Non-Mediterranean and<br />
Mediterranean countries, before and after controlling for covariates<br />
Notes:<br />
* Estimated marginal means after controlling for covariates;<br />
** Job satisfaction is calculated only for employed respondents;<br />
All F’s are significant at p < .01 level.<br />
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T. BabaroviÊ, Lj. Kaliterna LipovËan, A. Brajπa-Æganec, J. Zekan: Life Satisfaction...<br />
Table 2 Prediction of group membership (Non-Mediterranean or Mediterranean)<br />
by the life satisfaction aspects — logistic regression<br />
Notes:<br />
*p < .01;<br />
** Overall increase of correct classification by the logistic model compared to null model<br />
(percentage). The values out of brackets refer to employed respondents, while the values in<br />
brackets refer to all respondents.<br />
Both models explained very similar percentage of variance related to group difference<br />
(Cox & Snell R 2 = .04; Nagelkerke R 2 = .06). It indicates that quality of life domains<br />
can explain the Mediterranean — Non-Mediterranean group differences which<br />
go up to 6%. In the employed sample, the quality of life domains that mostly contribute<br />
to this discrimination were satisfaction with local area (b = -.11; c 2 = 118.72; p <<br />
.01) and satisfaction with standard of living (b = -.11; c 2 = 82.50; p < .01), while satisfaction<br />
with job and satisfaction with family life were insignificant predictors (p > .01).<br />
In the complete sample the best predictors of group membership were again satisfaction<br />
with the local area (b = -.10; c 2 = 203.56; p < .01) and standard of living (b = -.07;<br />
c 2 = 101.83; p < .01), but satisfaction with education also stood out as relatively important<br />
(b = -.08; c 2 = 175.56; p < .01). In this model in the sample, the only insignificant<br />
predictor was satisfaction with the family life (p > .01). In the end, it should be noted<br />
that the contribution of quality of life domains in explaining the membership to the<br />
Mediterranean or Non-Mediterranean countries is quite week. The overall increase of<br />
correct classification of respondents to those two groups by the logistic models compared<br />
to null models (classification by chance) was just 3.1% and 4.7%, respectively.<br />
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DISCUSSION<br />
The results of these analyses clearly point to the fact that people living in Mediterranean<br />
European countries perceived lower levels of SWB than people living in the continental<br />
parts of Europe. The lower well-being was observed in Mediterranean countries<br />
by both the overall SWB indicators, such as happiness and life satisfaction, and by satisfaction<br />
with particular life domains: education, job, standard of living, accommodation,<br />
family life and local area. The differences between the Mediterranean and Non-<br />
Mediterranean group of countries were significant even after controlling for factors that<br />
are known to be associated with SWB (monthly household income, material deprivation<br />
and satisfaction with public services). However, it should be pointed out that the<br />
sizes of those differences were small. The significant predictors of Mediterranean and<br />
Non-Mediterranean group membership were satisfaction with the local area, standard<br />
of living, and education, while family life and job satisfaction were insignificant predictors.<br />
Again, the variance accounted for by the regression model is small, indicating that<br />
quality of life domains cannot explain belonging to the Mediterranean or Non-Mediterranean<br />
country by a great extent. Taking into account that all European countries belong<br />
to the upper or the happier half of world countries when SWB is considered (Hallivell,<br />
Layard & Sachs, 2019), the big differences between groups of countries within<br />
Europe were not expected. Nevertheless, the fact remains that Mediterranean lifestyle<br />
that tourists around the world admire does not provide pure happiness and well-being.<br />
Comparisons of SWB between countries have shown that people are happier in<br />
nations that are economically more developed, whose governments are efficient and<br />
relatively less corrupt, and where the rule of law, human rights, and political freedoms<br />
are well protected (Helliwell et al., 2014; Tay, Herian, & Diener, 2014). Because of the<br />
significance of these institutional factors in well-being, the lower SWB scores of southern<br />
Europe could explain why they lag behind the north in happiness (Aslam & Corrado,<br />
2012). According to the newest Eurostat data, unemployment rates in the EU are<br />
the highest in Greece, Spain, Italy, France, Cyprus and Croatia, all six countries belonging<br />
to the Mediterranean group, while the lowest unemployment rates are in Germany<br />
and The Czech Republic (Eurostat, 2019b). Among the ten countries with the highest<br />
share of population living in households that have difficulty or great difficulty in making<br />
ends meet in 2016, six are countries of the Mediterranean group (Eurostat, <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Obviously, Mediterranean countries are less economically developed in comparison to<br />
northern parts. As a consequence, in all these countries (except Malta) trust in government,<br />
public and political institutions is lower than in continental parts of Europe (Eurofound,<br />
<strong>2018</strong>), and trust in institutions was found to be a powerful indicator of quality<br />
of life and social well-being (Eurofound, 2013). There is evidence that the trust in<br />
political and legal system is especially low for the young adults living in the Mediterranean,<br />
substantially lower than the average score of their peers living in Scandinavian<br />
and Central European countries (D’Agostino, Grilli & Regoli, 2019). Authors attribute<br />
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T. BabaroviÊ, Lj. Kaliterna LipovËan, A. Brajπa-Æganec, J. Zekan: Life Satisfaction...<br />
this lower trust to the Great Recession that has exacerbated the employment and life<br />
conditions of many young people.<br />
Among others reasons for lower SWB in Mediterranean than in continental parts<br />
of Europe, some authors point out the greater inequalities in SWB as an indicator of<br />
polarisation in societies (Jorda, Lopez-Noval & Sarabia, 2019), greater degree of power<br />
distance i.e. hierarchy in the society which is more pronounced in the South than in<br />
the North of Europe (Brule & Veenhoven, 2012), lower individualism (Veenhoven,<br />
1999), and a greater share of population living in city centres (Brown, Oueslati & Silva,<br />
2015). Also, growing tourism in the Mediterranean was found to be detrimental for<br />
citizens’ well-being. Residents of touristic places perceive tourism as a dual phenomenon:<br />
they are aware that it is a driver of the local economy, but at the same time they<br />
perceive it as a factor that impinges on some aspects of their everyday life, negatively<br />
affecting their well-being, especially in the tourist season (Bimonte & Faralla, 2016).<br />
Obviously, Mediterranean societies face many challenges that need to be addressed<br />
in order to improve well-being of citizens. In recent decades, accumulated scientific<br />
evidence showed that high well-being has beneficial outcomes and should<br />
therefore become an essential policy concern (Diener & Biswas-Diener, 2019). Attempts<br />
to improve well-being should occur at the societal level and at the more local<br />
level with the main goal of making the cradle of European civilization a happy place<br />
for both visitors and inhabitants.<br />
References<br />
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(3) 627-649.<br />
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adults in Europe. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 14 , 85-112.<br />
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Anita BU©LJETA TONKOVI∆<br />
SUSTAINABLE RURAL TOURISM AT THE<br />
MEDITERRANEAN’S DOORSTEP:<br />
A CASE STUDY OF THE LIKA REGION<br />
(CROATIA)<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
At the time when the first widely known definition of sustainable development<br />
emerged, Barbier (1987) discussed two perspectives from which economic development<br />
could be considered. One perspective was focused on meeting basic needs, that<br />
is, on helping the needy. The other already underscored that genuine development<br />
would not be possible without taking into account the environment and local social<br />
and cultural values, together with enabling all stakeholders to participate in shaping the<br />
desired development. Sustainable development today constitutes an essential developmental<br />
concept subject to debates and implementation efforts at global and local levels.<br />
Testimony to this can be found in the documents produced by the United Nations<br />
Development Programme as well as documents of European, regional and/or national<br />
importance, such as the European Union Strategy for Sustainable Development (2001),<br />
the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development 2016—2025 (UNEP/MAP 2016)<br />
and all national strategies.<br />
Since the 1990s, Croatia has also embarked on discussions about the concept of<br />
sustainable development, first within its scholarly community (Kalanj 1993; »aldaroviÊ,<br />
1993; Lay, 1993; Lay, 1996; CifriÊ, 1998; CifriÊ, 2000), and then in broader social contexts.<br />
The Republic of Croatia adopted its Sustainable Development Strategy in 2009.<br />
In the section dealing with protection of the Adriatic Sea, the coastal zone and islands,<br />
the Strategy states that its key objective is to “promote sustainable management of the<br />
Adriatic Sea, the coast and the islands and the preservation of marine ecosystems by<br />
reducing the discharge of waste and foreign micro-organisms and pathogens into the<br />
sea from all sources of pollution by supporting local communities, especially on the islands,<br />
and by limiting the effects of economic activities, particularly tourism, on the environment.”<br />
The 2009 Strategy did not expressly identify sustainable tourism as one of<br />
the concepts whose implementation was to be pursued in practice, but it is mentioned<br />
in the Republic of Croatia Tourism Development Strategy until 2020, adopted in 2013,<br />
wherein global qualitative megatrends are highlighted: “Environmental issues and environmental<br />
responsibility are among the most pressing challenges for the future. As an<br />
industry that both relies on and strongly influences the quality of the environment,<br />
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tourism will more intensively adhere to the implementation of environmentally sound,<br />
‘green’ concepts at the level of individual services providers and entire destinations. Integral<br />
management of the coastal area, where tourism constitutes a key economic sector,<br />
provides a framework for the balanced development of the coastal area and promotes<br />
the development of sustainable tourism aimed at the preservation of coastal ecosystems<br />
and landscapes as well as natural and cultural assets.” While the Stragtegy<br />
claims that tourism needs to be developed throughout the country’s territory, it is not<br />
particularly concerned with the potential of continental (inland) Croatia, especially<br />
those areas which can, in a manner of speaking, be called the antechamber of the Mediterranean<br />
and include Highland Croatia, specifically, Gorski Kotar and Lika. Although<br />
Highland Croatia is not seen as a potentially fertile ground for tourism development,<br />
national documents do discuss sustainable development. Specifically, in all of its recent<br />
documents — primarily strategies and plans such as the Rural Development Programme<br />
of the Republic of Croatia for 2014—2020 — Croatia has taken into account<br />
the concepts of sustainable development and integral sustainability.<br />
In relevant literature, the concept of sustainable tourism has been discussed and<br />
defined since the 1990s, when Edward Inkeep described its basic criteria through economic,<br />
environmental and social responsibility, as well as responsibility to tourists (Mihalic,<br />
2014). Two definitions shall be presented here that will help set the groundwork<br />
for this paper. The first was devised by the World Tourism Organization, 1 and it pertains<br />
to sustainable tourism in general: “Tourism that takes full account of its current<br />
and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors,<br />
the industry, the environment and host communities” (UNWTO, 2005). The second<br />
one defines sustainable rural tourism, which “refers to economic activity which is economically<br />
viable, but does not destroy the resources on which the future of tourism<br />
will depend, notably the physical environment, and the social fabric of the host community”<br />
(Swarbrooke 1999, as cited in McAreavey & McDonagh, 2011).<br />
2. METHODOLOGY<br />
This paper has been designed as a case study that consists of a discussion of secondary<br />
sources and, in particular, a qualitative review. As is commonly known, a case study<br />
allows for an in-depth analysis of a specific phenomenon or process (Tkalac VerËiÊ,<br />
SinËiÊ ∆oriÊ & Poloπki VokiÊ, 2010). This paper examines the theoretical concepts of<br />
integral sustainability and sustainable development. In its first section, the desk method<br />
is used in order to analyse the existing sources and documents relevant to understanding<br />
the concepts of sustainable development and sustainable tourism. What follows<br />
is an analysis of published and publically available statistical data related prima-<br />
1 The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations agency charged with the promotion<br />
of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism (http://www2.unwto.org/<br />
content/who-we-are-0).<br />
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rily to the structure of tourist arrivals in Croatia by county during 2017, with a special<br />
focus on the Lika-Senj County. In the final section, this paper presents field data collection.<br />
Qualitative data have been collected by using the method of the semi-structured<br />
interview conducted longitudinally at the Linden Tree Ranch and Retreat from<br />
2012 until <strong>2018</strong>. 2 This rural estate was opened to the public in 2010. It has been operating<br />
through WWOOF and was in collaboration with foreign universities form 2010<br />
until 2016 when it become resort. Some of the information and data analysed and presented<br />
in this paper have been gathered from the websites of selected tourism actors<br />
and with assistance from the Lika-Senj County Tourism Board. 3 The basic purpose of<br />
this paper is to present the data gathered on potentially sustainable tourism practices<br />
in the traditional region of Lika and to analyse them. Accordingly, the specific objectives<br />
of this paper were (1) identification of social actors in the current stage of sustainable<br />
rural tourism, (2) identification of developmental potential for sustainable rural<br />
tourism and (3) identification of potential problems in the further development of sustainable<br />
rural tourism.<br />
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION<br />
Tourism has been increasingly understood as a responsible activity within which visitors<br />
accord increasing attention to “more responsibility for the effects of travel and behaviour<br />
on host environments, both physical and human” (Butler, 1995 as cited in Mihalic,<br />
2014, p. 461). Growing responsibility has also led to new forms of tourism that<br />
can be called alternative. These forms of tourism, i.e. its new concepts, have been given<br />
various names such as “alternative, soft, quality, eco, responsible, minimum impact<br />
tourism, green and ethical tourism, with all of them representing an alternative to mainstream<br />
mass tourism that is becoming environmentally, socially, ethically and politically<br />
intolerable” (Mihalic, 2014, p. 461). Many names exist, but the common thread is always<br />
minimum environmental impact. In other words, the three fundamental dimensions<br />
of sustainable tourism (environmental, socio-cultural and economic) have to be<br />
balanced (UNWTO, 2005; Mihalic 2014; Buπljeta TonkoviÊ 2017).<br />
Only over the past few years has there been any talk about sustainable tourism in<br />
Lika, Croatia’s traditional region where tourism has just begun to evolve. Since Lika<br />
forms part of the Lika-Senj County and as a traditional region is not an administrative<br />
entity per se, its extent is shown in Figure 1 below. I shall also briefly present the basic<br />
statistics on the county and the region in order to highlight certain predispositions<br />
for further development of sustainable and, in particular, responsible tourism.<br />
2 The rural estate owner, Bruce Yerkovich, gave his consent to publish the collected data which<br />
are, in this case, not anonymous. Consent was also given to publish his name and the name of<br />
the resort in this paper. I would like to thank him for allowing me to conduct my research.<br />
3 The Lika-Senj County Tourism Board supplied the author with the requested data that had<br />
been gathered via eVisitor (the information system for tourist check-in and check-out) and processed<br />
by the Tourism Board. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to them.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Figure 1 Extent of the traditional region of Lika and its boundaries<br />
within the Lika-Senj and Zadar Counties.<br />
Within Croatia’s regional and geographical structure, Lika stands out as a traditional<br />
or historical-geographic region that has persisted in the population’s collective<br />
awareness and in its recognisable spatial framework. The traditional region of Lika was<br />
formed as a result of an identity developed over many centuries in correlation with territoriality<br />
within a similar underlying natural environment — a mountainous karst plateau<br />
area. Lika is also defined by its specific socio-cultural character, that is, the Dinaric<br />
traditional culture (Buπljeta TonkoviÊ, 2015). Lika’s geospatial structure is marked by<br />
its division into five sub-regional units: Central Lika, Gacka, Krbava, South-Lika and Lika-Pounje<br />
(PejnoviÊ, 2009). As shown in Figure 1, Lika accounts for the majority of the<br />
Lika-Senj County, with exception to its coastal area. That is why Lika was designated<br />
as the antechamber of the Mediterranean earlier in this paper. The Lika-Senj County is<br />
Croatia’s largest county in terms of surface area, but is also its least populous county<br />
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(it has a population of 50,927, of which Lika accounts for 45,113), with the lowest population<br />
density per square kilometre (9.6) (DSZ /Croatian Bureau of Statistics/, 2011),<br />
making it more comparable to, say, Laponia than the rest of Croatia and Europe. The<br />
paradox of such a population density, better yet scarcity, is that every citizen of Croatia<br />
(and Europe) has to pass through Lika in order to travel from the north to the south<br />
of the country. In other words, to reach destinations in Dalmatia, on the southern Adriatic<br />
coast or the adjacent islands by using overland routes (motorways), one must pass<br />
through Croatia’s highlands, i.e. through Lika. In recent years, individual visitors have<br />
opted to stop and stay for several days as tourists, making their contribution to the beginnings<br />
of rural and, it would appear, sustainable tourism in Lika. Tables 1, 2, 3 and<br />
4 contain the 2017 figures on tourist arrivals and bed-nights in Croatia by county and<br />
separate figures for the Lika-Senj County, as well as comparisons to neighbouring counties.<br />
Table 1 Tourist arrivals in Croatia by county in 2017 (DZS, <strong>2018</strong>; Turizam u brojkama 2017)<br />
Arrivals Structure (%)<br />
A d r i a t i c C r o a t i a Total: 15,136,098 86.7<br />
Primorje-Gorski Kotar County 2,282 16.0<br />
Lika-Senj County 736,284 4.2<br />
Zadar County 1,559,419 8.9<br />
©ibenik-Knin County 923,233 5.3<br />
Split-Dalmatia County 3,159,851 18.1<br />
Istria County 4,104,018 23.5<br />
Dubrovnik-Neretva County 1,864,114 10.7<br />
C o n t i n e n t a l C r o a t i a Total: 2,294,482 13.3<br />
Zagreb County 86,501 0.5<br />
Krapina-Zagorje County 142,313 0.8<br />
Sisak-Moslavina County 36,640 0.2<br />
Karlovac County 332,991 1.9<br />
Varaædin County 61,257 0.3<br />
Koprivnica-Kriæevci County 18,537 0.1<br />
Bjelovar-Bilogora County 22,556 0.1<br />
Virovitica-Podravina County 14,184 0.1<br />
Poæega-Slavonia County 13,284 0.1<br />
Slavonski Brod-Posavina County 28,614 0.2<br />
Osijek-Baranja County 92,239 0.5<br />
Vukovar-Srijem County 88,942 0.5<br />
Meappleimurje 70,337 0.4<br />
City of Zagreb 1,286,087 7.6<br />
R e p u b l i c o f C r o a t i a Total: 17,430,580 100<br />
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Table 2 Tourist arrivals and bed-nights in the Lika-Senj County in 2017 (DZS, <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Total Domestic Foreign<br />
Lika-Senj County Arrivals 736,284 38,099 698,185<br />
Nights 2,647,025 122,516 2,524,509<br />
Towns<br />
GospiÊ Arrivals 15,956 3,830 12,126<br />
Nights 26,634 9,361 17,273<br />
Novalja Arrivals 243,957 12,735 231,222<br />
Nights 1,561,422 70,294 1,491,128<br />
OtoËac Arrivals 41,236 2,024 39,212<br />
Nights 49,892 3,224 46,668<br />
Senj Arrivals 82,859 5,423 77,436<br />
Nights 368,264 12,987 355,277<br />
Municipalities<br />
Brinje Arrivals 1,850 194 1656<br />
Nights 2,024 209 1,815<br />
Donji Lapac Arrivals 478 166 312<br />
Nights 1,132 573 559<br />
Karlobag Arrivals 35,531 2,391 33,140<br />
Nights 193,431 6,938 186,493<br />
Lovinac Arrivals 1,737 759 978<br />
Nights 4,771 2,118 2,653<br />
PeruπiÊ Arrivals 1,284 450 834<br />
Nights 3,116 1,251 1,865<br />
Plitvice Lakes Arrivals 308,146 10,058 298,088<br />
Nights 430,676 15,462 415,214<br />
Udbina Arrivals 222 5 217<br />
Nights 506 10 496<br />
Vrhovine Arrivals 3,028 64 2,964<br />
Nights 5,157 89 5,068<br />
Table 3 Tourist arrivals and bed-nights in the Lika Region 2017 (DZS, <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Total Domestic Foreign<br />
Lika region Arrivals 373,937 17,550 356,387<br />
Nights 523,908 32,297 491,322<br />
Towns<br />
GospiÊ Arrivals 15,956 3,830 12,126<br />
Nights 26,634 9,361 17,273<br />
OtoËac Arrivals 41,236 2,024 39,212<br />
Nights 49,892 3,224 46,668<br />
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Municipalities<br />
Brinje Arrivals 1,850 194 1656<br />
Nights 2,024 209 1,815<br />
Donji Lapac Arrivals 478 166 312<br />
Nights 1,132 573 559<br />
Lovinac Arrivals 1,737 759 978<br />
Nights 4,771 2,118 2,653<br />
PeruπiÊ Arrivals 1,284 450 834<br />
Nights 3,116 1,251 1,865<br />
Plitvice Lakes Arrivals 308,146 10,058 298,088<br />
Nights 430,676 15,462 415,214<br />
Udbina Arrivals 222 5 217<br />
Nights 506 10 496<br />
Vrhovine Arrivals 3,028 64 2,964<br />
Nights 5,157 89 5,068<br />
Lika region excluding Arrivals 65,791 7,492 58,299<br />
Plitvice Lakes Municipality Nights 93,232 16,835 76,118<br />
Table 4 Tourist arrivals, bed-nights and types of accommodation 2017 in the Lika-Senj County<br />
(Data source: Lika-Senj County Tourist Board).<br />
Arrivals Arrivals Arrivals Nights Nights Nights<br />
Accommodation type domestic foreign total domestic foreign total<br />
Rooms in a household 12,336 32,7199 339,535 51,596 1,413,112 1,464,708<br />
Camp 3,505 93,454 96,959 27,427 568,385 595,812<br />
Non-commercial<br />
accommodations 7,613 12,708 20,321 316,997 220,954 537,951<br />
Hotels 13,835 219,653 233,488 26,645 342,393 369,038<br />
Other accommodation facilities<br />
(Other types/groups: campsites) 8,588 57,165 65,753 20,645 197,422 218,067<br />
Peasant household 486 1,373 1,859 822 3,783 4,605<br />
Other 115 124 239 230 859 1,089<br />
Floating facilities 0 0 0 0 0 0<br />
Restaurants 0 0 0 0 0 0<br />
Total: 46,478 711,676 758,154 444,362 2,746,908 3,191,270<br />
The figures from Table 1 show that the Lika-Senj County recorded 736,284 tourist<br />
arrivals and 2,647,025 tourist bed-nights. Compared to its two neighbouring counties,<br />
Zadar County (with 1,559,419 arrivals and 9,218,486 bed-nights) and Primorje-Gorski<br />
Kotar County (with 2,789,179 arrivals and 14,897,443 bed-nights), the figures for the Lika-Senj<br />
County testify to a tourism sector that is in its initial stages of development and<br />
that (save for the Plitvice Lakes Municipality on the mainland and the town of Novalja<br />
on the island of Pag) does not rely on mass tourism (Table 2). Since this paper discusses<br />
sustainable rather than mass tourism, the lower number of arrivals will be taken as<br />
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an upside because it means a lower environmental impact. On the other hand, if the<br />
towns and municipalities in the Lika-Senj County that are not part of the Lika region<br />
(Table 3) are left out, then the number of arrivals (373,937) and nights (523,908) goes<br />
down. If this group is considered, while arrivals and bed-nights in the Plitvice Lakes<br />
Municipality (primarily driven by mass tourism specific to this site) are excluded, then<br />
there are 65,791 arrivals and 93,232 bed-nights (Table 3). These low figures largely pertain<br />
to arrivals and bed-nights in tourist destinations and accommodation facilities,<br />
which may be considered rather alternative in character. Looking at their shares in the<br />
number of tourist arrivals at a national level (Table 1), the Lika-Senj County accounts<br />
for 4.2%, the Zadar County for 8.9% and the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County for 16% of<br />
total arrivals. With this figure, the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County ranks second, with Istria<br />
County being the top performer at the national level in 2017, accounting for 23.5%<br />
of total tourist arrivals in Croatia. The answer to the question whether the Lika-Senj<br />
County should seek to increase the number of arrivals or the quality of services it offers<br />
lies in the analysis of figures from Table 4. Specifically, the highest number of bednights<br />
pertains to accommodation in households and hotels, followed by non-commercial<br />
accommodation, campsites and other hospitality establishments. The number of<br />
bed-nights in family farm facilities is lowest, i.e. in rural households. Domestic visitors<br />
account for 13.67% of total tourist bed-nights. The shares of tourists from foreign markets<br />
can be broken down as follows: Germany 19.25%, Slovenia 13.85%, Italy 10.17%,<br />
Poland 5.78%, Austria 5.4%, the Czech Republic 4.84%, Hungary 3.11%, the United<br />
Kingdom 3.06% and Slovakia 2.815%. The average length of stays for foreign visitors is<br />
4.02 days (HGK/Croatian Chamber of Commerce/, 2017). The average length of stays<br />
for all visitors is 4.39 days, and for destinations in Lika (PeruπiÊ 2.94, GospiÊ 1.75,<br />
Vrhovine 1.69, Plitvice Lakes 1.42, OtoËac 1.23 and Brinje 1.09 days), 4 the average<br />
length of stay is barely two days (HGK, 2017). This figure supports the assertion that<br />
the development of Lika’s tourism is in its initial stages. Accordingly, there is indeed<br />
room to design a sustainable tourism product.<br />
What is exceptionally important, especially to the development of sustainable<br />
tourism, is the fact that protected areas, i.e. national and nature parks (Plitvice Lakes<br />
National Park, Paklenica National Park, Northern Velebit National Park and Velebit Nature<br />
Park), cover 58% of the Lika-Senj County territory. Secondly, the development of<br />
sustainable (rural) tourism in the Lika-Senj County rests upon the absence of most modernization<br />
processes. Specifically, modernization processes have had little impact on<br />
the county, leaving it with clean natural resources (water, air, soil), which can be perceived<br />
as an advantage and an opportunity for careful planning and implementation of<br />
contemporary developmental concepts in general. Therefore, the remainder of this paper<br />
shall be devoted to the presentation of examples of sustainable (rural) tourism in<br />
4 For towns/municipalities without a tourism board, this figure is presented under the category<br />
“TZ LSÆ” (Lika-Senj County Tourism Board) and amounts to 2.76 days.<br />
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Europe and Croatia, as well as those which, according to a research-based conclusion,<br />
may serve as a model for sustainable rural tourism in Lika.<br />
As already mentioned, tourist arrivals in the Lika-Senj County (736,284) constitute<br />
only 4.2% of all arrivals in Croatia. The region of Lika scored 373,937 arrivals, but if the<br />
Plitvice Lakes (where tourism is well-developed) are excluded, the remaining towns<br />
and municipalities in Lika account for only 65,791 arrivals. Taking these data into account,<br />
particularly the information gathered as part of field research efforts (i.e. during<br />
informal interviews with the local population and tourist establishment owners and, especially,<br />
semi-structured interviews conducted with the owner of Linden Tree Ranch &<br />
Retreat), I have reached the conclusion that rural tourism in Lika is in synergy with other<br />
economic activities in the rural area and does not represent the backbone of the<br />
economy, but rather an additional source of income for its communities, as well as a<br />
way to distribute local products. The reason for this sound situation rests on the fact<br />
that tourism development is in its initial stage. In other words, local tourism has not yet<br />
turned into a mass industry, and that is a sound springboard to be used by developmental<br />
actors in planning tourism development.<br />
As stated earlier, the basic purpose of this paper was to present the data gathered<br />
on potentially sustainable tourism practices in the traditional region of Lika and to analyse<br />
them through the three objectives set forth and accomplished in this paper. First,<br />
the social actors in the current stage of sustainable rural tourism have been identified.<br />
The developmental actors contributing to sustainable and, in particular, rural tourism<br />
were divided into those belonging to the private, public and civil sectors. Those belonging<br />
to the private sector include: (1) Adventure Centre Rizvan City, also known as<br />
the first glamping camp in Lika (connected to Velebit Nature Park) and (2) Linden Tree<br />
Retreat & Ranch, also known as the first all-inclusive luxury cowboy ranch in Croatia<br />
(linked to Velebit Nature Park). Public sector sustainable tourism actors include the Lika<br />
Cave Park GrabovaËa, the Northern Velebit National Park and the Velebit Nature<br />
Park. Zipline Beware of the Bear, also known as the largest zipline in Croatia and one<br />
of the largest in Europe (connected to Plitvice Lakes National Park), is interesting due<br />
to public sector/NGO collaboration. The local municipality (Vrhovine) acknowledged<br />
the idea and activities of a local NGO, and together they applied for EU funds and received<br />
financial support to build the facility. The most original NGO sustainable tourism<br />
actor is Kuterevo Bear Sanctuary. 5 The sanctuary operates entirely from donations<br />
and volunteer work. People go there to volunteer from all over Europe and many other<br />
countries. The sanctuary was established 16 years ago (2002) and has made alternative<br />
tourism possible in the small village of Kuterevo, with a population of no more<br />
than 522 (Census 2011). All of these actors are developing tourism within the context<br />
of using the wild pristine natural environment, local organically-grown food and local<br />
community traditions as the main attractions. The actors in the private and NGO sec-<br />
5 Orphanage for bears.<br />
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tors of tourism have assumed their ideas from other (developed) countries. For example,<br />
there are bear sanctuaries in many European and other countries like Germany,<br />
Greece, Holland, Canada, India and the United States. 6 Outdoor tourist attractions such<br />
as ziplines can be found throughout Europe, for example in Slovenia, the United Kingdom,<br />
France, Italy and Switzerland. 7 Adventure parks are generally tourist attractions<br />
which have been developing in Europe, the United States and Asian countries since the<br />
1960s and since the 2000s in Croatia. Thus, ideas have been borrowed from others and<br />
then adjusted to the local context. In this way, tourism in Lika has begun to develop<br />
to the benefit of those who have adapted those ideas, but also to the local population,<br />
especially to those who live in the countryside and engage in farming, because this allows<br />
them to market some of their produce and provides additional income for local<br />
residents. Second, developmental possibilities for sustainable rural tourism have been<br />
identified. They are rooted in pristine natural resources and low industrial development.<br />
Third, potential problems in the further development of sustainable rural tourism<br />
have also been identified. They may be seen in the further development of mass<br />
tourism, which is happening in the Plitvice Lakes National Park. Another threat to sustainable<br />
tourism development includes projects that are extremely hazardous to the environment,<br />
such as one proposed by the national power company HEP, which plans<br />
to build a new reservoir near the village of Kosinj in Lika. It would be several times<br />
larger than the existing reservoir and would, by its volume, threaten the courses of Lika’s<br />
submerged rivers. 8<br />
As an example of sustainable rural tourism development, the Linden Tree Ranch<br />
and Retreat, situated in the village of Velika Plana inside Velebit Nature Park, is particularly<br />
noteworthy. This ranch was initially designed as a sustainability hub that was visited<br />
by students from many European countries and the United States in order to volunteer<br />
and learn about sustainable development. Until 2016, it was part of the so-called<br />
WWOOFing scheme, which is, as stated by DukiÊ, AteljeviÊ and TomljenoviÊ (<strong>2018</strong>), a<br />
new form of transformative tourism in Croatia and constitutes a specific form of volunteer<br />
ecotourism. 9 Linden was established in 2008, opened to the public in 2010, and<br />
the author of this paper has been monitoring its efforts since 2012 to date, thus conducting<br />
a sort of longitudinal study, observing changes and phases in the property’s<br />
development. Linden represents a kind of reconciliation between environmental and<br />
economic interests, which has gradually shaped opportunities for further development<br />
and co-operation with other actors in agriculture and tourism. It operates on the basis<br />
6 For more information see http://bearsanctuary.com/bear-sanctuaries-around-world.<br />
7 For more information see https://www.inspirock.com/zipline-and-aerial-adventure-parks-ineurope.<br />
8 As a karst area, Lika has no naturally-occurring lakes nor stagnant bodies of water. Such phenomena<br />
are not inherent to Lika’s landscape nor do they contribute to the survival of local flora<br />
and fauna.<br />
9 WWOF: Working Weekends on Organic Farms (for more information see DukiÊ et al., <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
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of a specific principle the ranch owner and initiator of the concept calls CIDER (Community,<br />
Integrity, Development, Evolution and Responsibility), where community refers<br />
to cooperation with and dependence on the local community; integrity means unity<br />
and development in compliance with sustainability; development naturally refers to<br />
sustainable, environmentally- and human-friendly practices; evolution means a shift in<br />
awareness and, as a result, a full turnaround toward sustainable practices; and responsibility<br />
refers to the fact that we bear responsibility by our actions for both future generations<br />
and those living here and now. Linden hires local staff, everything built on the<br />
property was made by local craftsmen and artisans, and the guests are served food organically<br />
grown by local farmers. Those visiting the ranch are not passive spectators,<br />
but rather active participants.<br />
You as a guest are not a mere spectator but rather an active participant. You<br />
absorb a wealth of knowledge and wisdom and you leave some of your own<br />
behind. So that Linden can keep thriving as a cultural exchange crossroads,<br />
conservation wisdom bank and community building leader. (B. Y.)<br />
As in the aforementioned examples of tourism products, what we have here are<br />
active holidays that include, inter alia, horseback riding, canoeing or hiking. Visitors<br />
sometimes gather wild-growing plants for teas, which they then prepare on the ranch,<br />
and sometimes they pick mushrooms. The point is that the visitors become stakeholders<br />
in nature conservation during their stay on the ranch, i.e. those who actively contribute<br />
to this goal.<br />
You are no longer just someone who came, paid and listened to me talk<br />
about nature conservation, about how those woods are important in order for<br />
the mushroom to grow. Now you picked that mushroom, now you are personally<br />
involved in it. Now you picked the mushroom from a preserved forest,<br />
brought it to the ranch and ate it. This is how we do it here. (B. Y.)<br />
In addition to providing an example of sound practices in the field of sustainable<br />
rural tourism, Linden is also an example of business transformation prompted by certain<br />
external forces, mostly of an economic nature. From the concept of a farm that primarily<br />
served to train students in integral sustainability and sustainable practices, a farm<br />
that was primarily non-profit in character, it transformed — within a time span of ten<br />
years — into a luxury ranch that has not forsaken the principle of sustainability, but<br />
rather adjusted to the market economy environment. Linden is not the first landed<br />
property to adjust to such an environment. Elsewhere in Europe, a similar example is<br />
provided by Hill Holt Wood, which has assumed a different economic form and has<br />
become a social enterprise offering its services on the market. Hill Holt is “a concept,<br />
a way of working with the local community, providing a social, economic and environmental<br />
return”. 10 Recycled Estate VukomeriÊ is a Croatian example where the property<br />
owners host and teach a wide array of courses and workshops, natural construction,<br />
10 For more information see http://www.hillholtwood.co.uk/.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
appropriate technology, natural cosmetics, food fermentation and everything about sustainable<br />
gardening and farming. However, in addition to operating through an NGO,<br />
they earn a part of their revenues on the market. 11 The market economy is the dominant<br />
economic model, yet the examples presented in this paper lead to the conclusion<br />
that sustainable, alternative forms of tourism, which act in synergy with the natural environment,<br />
can generate profits and be part of the market, but in a way that poses no<br />
threat to the resources upon which they rely.<br />
4. CONCLUSIONS AND FURTHER RESEARCH<br />
This paper has provided an overview of the initial stage of tourism development in the<br />
Lika-Senj County and, in particular, the traditional region of Lika. Driven by the adage<br />
that increased tourist arrivals mean economic benefit, while the other pillars of sustainability<br />
(environmental and socio-cultural) remain unmet both for local communities<br />
and tourists, it may be concluded that this region has sound prerequisites for the further<br />
development of well-designed sustainable (rural) tourism, which has already been<br />
tested in practice. More than half of the County’s territory is under protection as national<br />
and nature parks, which constitutes a potential that is currently underutilized. The<br />
absence of modernization processes, also meaning the absence of industrialization,<br />
provide an ideal platform for the implementation of tourism that should be carefully<br />
designed and sustainable. The developmental actors presented in this paper — i.e. actors<br />
which, to some extent, apply sustainable practices — mark the initial stage and lay<br />
the groundwork for further development of sustainable practices on the tourist map of<br />
Lika and the Lika-Senj County. Their importance is all the greater as they constitute an<br />
alternative tourism product precisely in the area herein called the gateway to the Mediterranean.<br />
The alternative forms of tourism and, in particular, a tourism industry that<br />
does not represent the backbone of the economy, but rather a source of additional income<br />
both for property owners and the rest of the community, should be a part of the<br />
economic landscape of every modern region. Therefore, efforts are needed to make<br />
further and more detailed studies of sound practices applied both by the tourism actors<br />
partially considered herein and other tourist destinations in Croatia, which can be<br />
said to be on the right track toward sustainable tourism development.<br />
References<br />
Barbier, E. B. (1987). The Concept of Sustainable Economic Development. Environmental<br />
Conservation, 14 (2), 101-110. DOI: 10.1017/S0376892900011449<br />
Buπljeta TonkoviÊ, A. (2015). Odræivi razvoj Srediπnje Like: prinosi analizi ljudskog i socijalnog<br />
kapitala. Zagreb — GospiÊ: Institut druπtvenih znanosti Ivo Pilar i Dræavni arhiv u GospiÊu.<br />
Buπljeta TonkoviÊ, A. (2017). Koncept odræivog ruralnog turizma: primjeri dobre prakse u Lici. In A.<br />
Buπljeta TonkoviÊ, Æ. Holjevac, I. BrliÊ, N. ©imuniÊ (Eds.), Koga (p)odræava odræivi razvoj,<br />
11 For more information see https://www.zmag.hr/english.<br />
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Commission of the European Communities (2001). A Sustainable Europe for a Better World: A<br />
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»aldaroviÊ, O. (1993). Sociologija i odræivi razvoj. Socijalna ekologija, 2 (3), 419-426. Available at:<br />
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DukiÊ, L., AteljeviÊ, I. i TomljenoviÊ, R. (<strong>2018</strong>). WWOOFing kao novi oblik transformativnog<br />
turizma u Hrvatskoj. Socijalna ekologija, 27 (1), 49-69. doi:10.17234/SocEkol.27.1.2<br />
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Lay, V. (1993). Koncept odræivog razvoja — neke pretpostavle ostvarivanja. Socijalna ekologija, 2<br />
(3), 377-388. Available at: https://hrcak.srce.hr/139071<br />
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(1-2), 149-155. Available at: https://hrcak.srce.hr/141623<br />
McAreavey, R., McDonagh, J. (2011). Sustainable Rural Tourism: Lessons for Rural Development.<br />
Sociologia Ruralis, 51 (2), 176-194. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9523.2010.00529.x<br />
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Journal of Cleaner Production 111 (2016) 461-470. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.12.062<br />
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Strategija odræivog razvoja Republike Hrvatske (2009). Hrvatski sabor, Narodne novine 30/2009<br />
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Tkalac VerËiÊ, A., SinËiÊ ∆oriÊ, D. & Poloπki VokiÊ, N. (2010). PriruËnik za metodologiju<br />
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M.E.P. d.o.o.<br />
UNEP/MAP (2016). Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development 2016—2025. Valbonne.<br />
Plan Bleu, Regional Activity Centre. Available at: https://planbleu.org/sites/default/files/<br />
publications/mssd_2016—2025_final.pdf<br />
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Lana LU»I∆, Tihana BRKLJA»I∆, Ljiljana KALITERNA LIPOV»AN,<br />
Ines SU»I∆, Andreja BRAJ©A-ÆGANEC<br />
REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN<br />
WELL-BEING IN CROATIA<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
In the last few decades, well-being and its indicators have emerged as an important<br />
and interesting research topic. Subjective well-being (SWB) is defined as “a person’s<br />
cognitive and affective evaluations of his or her life” (Diener, Lucas, & Oishi, 2002, p.<br />
63). Cognitive evaluation is about life satisfaction in general and satisfaction with specific<br />
domains; affective evaluation refers to emotions, moods and feelings (Diener, Lucas,<br />
& Oishi, 2002). The importance of well-being has been recognized and many researchers<br />
have explored the link between well-being and positive outcomes. For instance,<br />
SWB is positively associated with productivity (Oswald, Proto, & Sgroi, 2015),<br />
creativity, cooperativeness and engagement at work (Amabile, Barsade, Mueller, &<br />
Staw, 2005; Boehm & Lyubomirsky, 2008; Fisher, 2010), social engagement and relationships<br />
(Aknin, Dunn, & Norton, 2012; Diener & Seligman, 2002), higher income and<br />
better health (Steptoe, Dockray & Wardle, 2009) and resilience to stress (Cohn, Fredrickson,<br />
Brown, Mikels, & Conway, 2009). A large body of research has been exploring<br />
the correlates of SWB. Scholars are continuously analyzing the possible impact of<br />
certain demographical variables such as gender and age to well-being, but the connection<br />
to SWB remain unclear. In some studies, women reported a higher level of happiness<br />
and life satisfaction than men (Wood, Rhodes, & Whelan, 1989), but Lucas and<br />
Gohm (2000) call for caution in making generalizations since most research has been<br />
done in Western countries. When looking at age, some research negates a change in<br />
life satisfaction over age (Lucas & Gohm, 2000), while other research claims there is a<br />
U-shaped curve in happiness, reaching a minimum during the middle age years (Mroczek<br />
& Kolarz, 1998; Mroczek & Spiro, 2005). Education has been proved as an important<br />
contributor to well-being. On the one hand, it has a positive effect on self-confidence<br />
and self-estimation; on the other hand, it promotes higher employment probability<br />
and job quality, higher income and better health (Cuñado & de Gracia, 2012;<br />
Clark & Oswald, 1996). Income was found to have only a moderate effect on SWB<br />
(Cheung & Lucas, 2015), while health is one of the strongest predictors, consistently<br />
showing a positive association with SWB (Diener & Chan, 2011). Married people are<br />
generally happier than unmarried people, while the unhappiest people are those stuck<br />
in unhappy marriages (Myers, 2000).<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Although most research on well-being so far has been focused on individual-level<br />
processes, we have recently witnessed a growing interest in exploring how broader<br />
geographical units of analysis (e.g. city, country) influence a person’s well-being (Diener,<br />
Helliwell, & Kahneman, 2010; Lawless & Lucas, 2011). The relationship between<br />
geography and social and behavioral processes has already been established by sociologists,<br />
political scientists and others, showing that local and national culture, society<br />
and economics contribute to an individual’s evaluation of happiness and life satisfaction<br />
(Rentfrow, <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Croatia is a small country, located in Southeastern Europe with approximately 4.2<br />
million residents. Its terrain is geographically diverse with flat plains, low mountains<br />
and highlands, as well as a coastline and islands. There are twenty administrative divisions<br />
in Croatia, but for the purpose of this research, the counties were grouped into<br />
six regions. Based on the 2011 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings (Croatian<br />
Bureau of Statistics, 2017, p. 60), the density of population per square kilometer<br />
is also diverse, with the highest density in Zagreb (1,232.5), followed by North-West<br />
Croatia (117.43), the Central and South Adriatic Coast (63.03), East Croatia (61.88), Central<br />
Croatia (55.82) and the North Adriatic Coast (55.36). According to the Croatian<br />
Chamber of Economy (CCE, 2016), the Index of Economic Strength reveals differences<br />
between the mentioned regions. The CCE index is a composite index, calculated as the<br />
sum of weighted ranks of GDP per capita: entrepreneurs’ total revenues per employee,<br />
entrepreneurs’ revenue on foreign markets per employee, entrepreneurs’ net profit<br />
per employee, average net salary, unemployment rate and projections of population<br />
growth 2013—2030 (Croatian Chamber of Economy, 2016). Thus, the CCE index can<br />
be used as a reliable measure of a county’s development, and comparisons are possible.<br />
Based on the 2016 index calculations, Zagreb and the North Adriatic Coast (except<br />
the Lika-Senj County) scored above the Croatian average, while East Croatia was at the<br />
bottom of the ranking list. North-West Croatia was slightly below the country’s average,<br />
followed by the Central and South Adriatic Coast and Central Croatia. The level of<br />
happiness and life satisfaction in Croatia has been measured by several cross-national<br />
research projects that allow comparisons between Croatia and EU countries. To the best<br />
of our knowledge, there are only three pieces of research that shed light on differences<br />
in well-being indicators between regions or counties of Croatia (UNDP, 2006; Kaliterna<br />
LipovËan, BabaroviÊ, & Brajπa Æganec, 2017; Kaliterna LipovËan and Brajπa-Æganec,<br />
2017). Studies were conducted on national representative samples and concluded<br />
that residents of coastal areas have a higher well-being than residents from continental<br />
areas. Kaliterna LipovËan and Brajπa Æganec (2017) analyzed the differences in well-being<br />
between North-West Croatia (NWC) and the rest of the country and found that certain<br />
aspects of quality of life are higher in NWC. Residents living there were more satisfied<br />
with their lives, family, friends and future security compared to the rest of the<br />
Croatia.<br />
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L. LuËiÊ, T. BrkljaËiÊ, Lj. Kaliterna LipovËan, I. SuËiÊ, A. Brajπa-Æganec: Regional Differences...<br />
RESEARCH GOALS<br />
The goal of this research was to compare various well-being indicators among the citizens<br />
of Croatia living in different regions. Based on the current socio-economic situation<br />
in Croatia and on literature as well, we can hypothesize that people living in East<br />
Croatia will report lower levels of well-being, while people living in the City of Zagreb<br />
will report higher levels of well-being. We also expect well-being levels to be higher<br />
in coastal regions and North-West Croatia, similar to Zagreb.<br />
METHOD<br />
Participants<br />
This study was conducted as a part of the CRO-WELL project, a longitudinal well-being<br />
study in Croatia, funded by the Croatian Science Foundation. Participants (N=4,844)<br />
were divided in six regions based on their geographical location of residence: Central<br />
Croatia (CC), North-West Croatia (NWC), East Croatia (EC),the North Adriatic Coast<br />
(NAC), the Central and South Adriatic Coast (CSAC) and Zagreb (ZG). Each region consists<br />
of several counties (Table 1). The capital city is a region of its own.<br />
County<br />
Table 1 Counties grouped into regions<br />
Zagreb region City of Zagreb (1881)<br />
Central Croatia Karlovac County (99)<br />
Zagreb County (238)<br />
Sisak-Moslavina County (92)<br />
Bjelovar-Bilogora County (77)<br />
North-West Croatia Varaædin County (250)<br />
Krapina-Zagorje County (102)<br />
Meappleimurje County (120)<br />
Koprivnica-Kriæevci County (115)<br />
East Croatia Virovitica-Podravina County (64)<br />
Poæega-Slavonia County (47)<br />
Osijek-Baranja County (377)<br />
Vukovar-Srijem County (118)<br />
Brod-Posavina County (99)<br />
North Adriatic Coast Istra County (224)<br />
Primorje-Gorski kotar County (334)i<br />
Lika-Senj County (26)<br />
Central and South Adriatic Coast Zadar County (105)<br />
©ibenik-Knin County (64)<br />
Split-Dalmatia County (322)<br />
Dubrovnik-Neretva County (90)<br />
(N)<br />
Regardless of the region, the average participant is female, in her mid-thirties, well<br />
educated, with a monthly income between 2,000 and 5,000 Croatian kunas (HRK) (Table<br />
2).<br />
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Table 2 Demographic characteristics of participants<br />
Feature ZG CC NWC EC NAC CSAC Total<br />
Total 1881 506 587 705 584 581 4844<br />
Gender (F) 1435 379 456 528 443 449 3690<br />
Age (AV) 35.6 34.57 35.16 33.29 36.32 36.23 35.2<br />
Education high school 1312 283 360 376 352 346 3029<br />
Income < 2.000 HRK 213 91 106 200 81 115 806<br />
2.000-5.000 HRK 860 267 302 342 290 270 2331<br />
>_ 5.000 HRK 694 122 141 119 170 154 1400<br />
Married 638 190 260 290 212 236 1826<br />
Children (Y) 725 215 292 301 260 263 2056<br />
Note: ZG= Zagreb region; CC= Central Croatia; NWC= North-West Croatia; EC= East Croatia;<br />
NAC= North Adriatic Coast; CSAC= Central and South Adriatic Coast; p**=.00<br />
PROCEDURE<br />
Data was collected via an online survey, which consisted of a comprehensive battery<br />
of questionnaires. The survey was promoted in various printed and online media, social<br />
networks and forums. All adult Internet users in Croatia were invited to anonymously<br />
participate in the survey using the link provided on the web page of the project<br />
(www.sreca.hr). This type of distribution resulted in a self-selected convenient sample<br />
favoring female, young and educated participants.<br />
INSTRUMENTS<br />
The measure of life satisfaction as a global cognitive judgment of satisfaction with one’s<br />
life was used to assess the cognitive component of subjective well-being. We used a<br />
single-item measure that is typically used for this purpose, such as in the World Values<br />
Survey (2007). The subjects were asked: “All things considered, how satisfied are you<br />
with your life as a whole?” They rated their satisfaction with their life using an elevenpoint<br />
scale, where zero means “not satisfied at all” and ten means “extremely satisfied”.<br />
The Happiness Measure Scale (Fordyce, 1988) was used to examine the affective<br />
component of subjective well-being. The question “In general, how happy do you usually<br />
feel?” was rated on an eleven-point scale ranging from zero “not happy at all” to<br />
ten “extremely happy”. The correlation between life satisfaction and the Happiness<br />
Scale was r =.819 (p
L. LuËiÊ, T. BrkljaËiÊ, Lj. Kaliterna LipovËan, I. SuËiÊ, A. Brajπa-Æganec: Regional Differences...<br />
dividing “relationships” into two categories, family and friends, and examined four additional<br />
domains — free time, work, physical appearance and love life. PWI showed<br />
good reliability a = .83 (Ganglmair-Wooliscroft & Lawson, 2008) with a single-factor<br />
structure. Cronbach’s a of PWI in this study was 0.88.<br />
Personal socio-demographic information was gathered for all the participants, specifically<br />
age, gender, education level and monthly income.<br />
RESULTS<br />
Prior to performing the analyses, we tested if the assumption of normality and homogeneity<br />
of variance for all well-being indicators were met. Results showed data was not<br />
normally distributed and variances across groups were not equal. Therefore, all analyses<br />
were conducted using nonparametric statistics. A Bonferroni correction was applied<br />
due to multiple comparisons. All analyses were conducted using SPSS 24 (IBM, Chicago,<br />
IL, USA).<br />
COMPARISON OF WELL-BEING INDICATORS BETWEEN REGIONS<br />
a. Overall Life Satisfaction and Happiness<br />
To answer the first research question, all groups were tested for differences in overall<br />
life satisfaction and happiness as two general well-being indicators. Average values for<br />
both indicators of well-being presented in Table 3 showed that participants in all regions<br />
were moderately satisfied with their lives and happy. The Kruskal-Wallis test provided<br />
strong evidence of a difference between the mean ranks of at least one pair of<br />
groups for life satisfaction (÷2 (5) =33.3, p=0.0) and happiness (÷2 (5) = 17.36, p=.00).<br />
Dunn’s pairwise tests were carried out for both well-being indicators. Regarding life satisfaction,<br />
Dunn’s test with a Bonferroni correction revealed a difference between the<br />
region of Zagreb and Central Croatia (p=.00), Zagreb and North-West Croatia (p=.00)<br />
and Zagreb and the North Adriatic Coast (p=.00), with participants from the Zagreb region<br />
being more satisfied with life. Other pairs did not differ from each other. Regarding<br />
happiness, Dunn’s test revealed participants from the Zagreb region to be significantly<br />
happier than participants from the Central Croatia region (p=.00). A Spearman’s<br />
rank-order correlation was run, and a significant and positive correlation was determined<br />
between life satisfaction and happiness (rs =.81; p=.00)<br />
Table 3 Descriptive statistics for life satisfaction and happiness by region<br />
ZG CC NWC EC NAC CSAC Total<br />
Life M 7.17 6.76 6.88 6.95 6.78 6.98 7<br />
satisfaction (SD) (1.89) (2.08) (1.94) (2.07) (1.99) (2.23) (2.01)<br />
Mdn 7 7 7 7 7 7 7<br />
Mode 8 8 8 8 8 8 8<br />
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Happiness M 7.00 6.69 6.83 6.81 6.72 6.92 6.88<br />
(SD) (2.04) (2.16) (2.04) (2.11) (2.12) (2.27) (2.11)<br />
Mdn 7 7 7 7 7 7 7<br />
Mode 8 8 8 8 8 8 8<br />
Note: ZG= Zagreb region; CC= Central Croatia; NWC= North-West Croatia; EC= East Croatia;<br />
NAC= North Adriatic Coast; CSAC= Central and South Adriatic Coast<br />
b. Satisfaction with Various Life Domains<br />
Participants in all regions reported being moderately satisfied with various life domains,<br />
but least satisfied with their life standard, future security and work (Table 4). When testing<br />
for differences at corrected p value, the Kruskal Wallis test reported differences in<br />
three domains: life standard (c2(5) =28.58; p=.00), family (c2(5) =31.10; p=.00) and<br />
work (c2(5) = 33.25; p=.00). After the Bonferroni correction, Dunn’s pairwise tests indicated<br />
that participants living in Zagreb were more satisfied with the life standard<br />
compared to East Croatia (p=.00) and the North Adriatic Coast (p=.00). Regarding family<br />
life, East Croatia’s participants reported being more satisfied than any other region<br />
except the Central and South Adriatic Coast (p=.00). Work satisfaction was the highest<br />
among participants from Zagreb compared to other regions, apart from the Central and<br />
South Adriatic Coast (p=.19).<br />
Table 4 Descriptive statistics for satisfaction with various life domains by region<br />
ZG CC NWC EC NAC CSAC Total<br />
Life M 6.03 5.69 5.77 5.52 5.61 5.73 5.82<br />
standard (SD) (2.40) (2.46) (3.76) (2.54) (2.51) (2.55) (2.47)<br />
Mdn 6 6 6 6 6 6 6<br />
Mode 7 7 7 7 8 7 7<br />
Health M 7.73 7.67 7.47 7.66 7.59 7.65 7.66<br />
(SD) (2.09) (2.13) (2.34) (2.22) (2.23) (2.29) (2.19)<br />
Mdn 8 8 8 8 8 8 8<br />
Mode 9 9 8 10 9 10 9<br />
Achievement M 6.77 6.53 6.63 6.53 6.42 6.70 6.65<br />
(SD) (2.23) (2.38) (2.25) (2.4) (2.42) (2.42) (2.33)<br />
Mdn 7 7 7 7 7 7 8<br />
Mode 8 8 8 8 8 8 9<br />
Family M 7.47 7.34 7.33 7.82 7.35 7.44 7.47<br />
(SD) (2.27) (2.30) (2.30) (2.23) (2.34) (2.48) (2.32)<br />
Mdn 8 8 8 9 8 8 8<br />
Mode 9 9 8 10 9 10 9<br />
Friends M 7.69 7.57 7.57 7.66 7.42 7.59 7.62<br />
(SD) (2.01) (2.14) (2.17) (2.16) (2.20) (2.26) (2.12)<br />
Mdn 8 8 8 8 8 8 8<br />
Mode 8 9 8 9 9 10 9<br />
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L. LuËiÊ, T. BrkljaËiÊ, Lj. Kaliterna LipovËan, I. SuËiÊ, A. Brajπa-Æganec: Regional Differences...<br />
Safety M 7.02 6.99 6.83 6.91 6.86 6.94 6.95<br />
(SD) (2.51) (2.56) (2.49) (2.56) (2.61) (2.60) (2.54)<br />
Mdn 8 8 7 8 8 8 8<br />
Mode 9 9 9 8 8 9 8<br />
Community M 6.54 6.54 6.44 6.61 6.32 6.42 6.48<br />
(SD) (2.65) (2.64) (2.68) (2.75) (2.71) (2.76) (2.69)<br />
Mdn 7 7 7 7 7 7 7<br />
Mode 8 8 8 8 7 8 8<br />
Future security M 5.40 5.25 5.18 5.32 5.29 5.48 5.36<br />
(SD) (2.72) (2.84) (2.68) (2.82) (2.84) (2.85) (2.77)<br />
Mdn 6 6 5 6 6 6 6<br />
Mode 5 8 5 5 7 7 7<br />
Free time M 6.46 6.24 6.29 6.44 6.48 6.62 6.45<br />
(SD) (2.58) (2.66) (2.59) (2.67) (2.68) (2.64) (2.62)<br />
Mdn 7 7 7 7 7 7 7<br />
Mode 8 8 8 8 8 8 8<br />
Work M 6.08 5.61 5.53 5.38 5.56 5.84 5.77<br />
(SD) (2.81) (3.06) (3.02) (3.26) (3.03) (3.07) (3)<br />
Mdn 7 6 6 6 6 6 6<br />
Mode 8 7 8 8 8 8 8<br />
Physical M 6.95 6.68 6.79 6.67 6.80 6.90 6.84<br />
appearance (SD) (2.10) (2.21) (2.16) (2.78) (2.26) (2.35) (2.2)<br />
Mdn 7 7 7 7 7 7 7<br />
Mode 8 8 8 8 8 8 8<br />
Love M 6.67 6.62 6.83 6.80 6.60 6.79 6.72<br />
(SD) (3.13) (3.33) (3.11) (3.32) (3.22) (3.26) (3.2)<br />
Mdn 8 8 8 8 8 8 8<br />
Mode 10 10 10 10 10 10 10<br />
Note: ZG= Zagreb region; CC= Central Croatia; NWC= North-West Croatia; EC= East Croatia;<br />
NAC= North Adriatic Coast; CSAC= Central and South Adriatic Coast<br />
DISCUSSION<br />
The aim of this study was to explore the differences in well-being among citizens of<br />
Croatia regarding their geographical location. Previous research based on nationally<br />
representative samples in Croatia showed similar levels of life satisfaction and happiness<br />
(Pilar’s barometer, 2016), showing that Croatian citizens are moderately happy and<br />
satisfied with their lives as a whole and in specific domains. Based on regional differences<br />
in the socio-economic situation in Croatia and on literature about associations<br />
between socio-economic indicators and well-being, we expected participants from East<br />
Croatia to report lower well-being compared to other regions. Due to the fact that East<br />
Croatia suffered severe consequences of the war period (e.g. decline in industry and<br />
agriculture, high unemployment) and is nowadays faced with emigration, we expected<br />
that satisfaction with life, satisfaction with specific domains and happiness would be<br />
lower compared to other parts of the country. Zagreb as the capital city of the country<br />
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provides more opportunities in almost all aspects of living (job, social services, education,<br />
culture), which is the main reason why we presumed that the well-being of people<br />
living in Zagreb would be higher compared to other regions. Based on previous<br />
research (Kaliterna LipovËan, BabaroviÊ, & Brajπa Æganec, 2017; Kaliterna LipovËan &<br />
Brajπa Æganec, 2017), we anticipated that well-being would generally be higher in<br />
coastal regions and in NWC.<br />
The results confirmed our hypotheses only partially. Participants from Zagreb reported<br />
higher life satisfaction, but only compared to Central Croatia, North-West Croatia<br />
and the North Adriatic Coast. Regarding happiness, participants from Zagreb were<br />
significantly happier only compared to participants from Central Croatia. Contrary to<br />
our expectations, participants from East Croatia did not show lower levels of life satisfaction<br />
and happiness than participants from other regions.<br />
Kaliterna LipovËan and Brajπa (2017) found that people living in NWC were more<br />
satisfied with life and certain aspects of it compared to the rest of the Croatia. They explained<br />
this finding by looking at the characteristics of the region: wealth, lower level<br />
of unemployment and higher trust in the local government. However, since they compared<br />
this region with the rest of Croatia, it may have happened that when summing<br />
up the results, the other Croatian regions, although differing among them to a certain<br />
degree, showed lower levels of well-being.<br />
Generally, results of this study showed that differences in well-being among Croatian<br />
regions are small, although some of them proved to be statistically significant.<br />
This can be partly explained by characteristics of our sample, which consisted predominantly<br />
of young, educated women. To establish the real differences, if they actually<br />
exist, in the well-being of Croatian citizens living in different regions, it would be necessary<br />
to conduct the survey on a representative sample of Croatian citizens.<br />
LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS<br />
The biggest limitation of this study was the self-selected sample that favors younger,<br />
middle-class and educated individuals. Future research should try to eliminate or minimize<br />
the limitations of this study.<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
This study compared the well-being of Croatian citizens grouped in six regions. Results<br />
showed the citizens were equally happy and satisfied with their lives regardless of their<br />
geographical position, with a somewhat higher well-being among citizens of Zagreb<br />
compared to other regions. When looking at specific life domains, all citizens rated<br />
their satisfaction with life standard, future security and work the lowest. Satisfaction<br />
with life standard and work was the highest in Zagreb, while satisfaction with family<br />
was the highest in East Croatia.<br />
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L. LuËiÊ, T. BrkljaËiÊ, Lj. Kaliterna LipovËan, I. SuËiÊ, A. Brajπa-Æganec: Regional Differences...<br />
Acknowledgment<br />
This work was fully supported by the Croatian Science Foundation under the project “Croatian Longitudinal<br />
Study on Well-Being” (IP-2014-094398).<br />
References<br />
Aknin, L. B., Dunn, E. W. & Norton, M. I. (2012). Happiness runs in a circular motion: Evidence for<br />
a positive feedback loop between prosocial spending and happiness. Journal of Happiness<br />
Studies, 13(2), 347-355.<br />
Cheung, F. & Lucas, R. E. (2015). When does money matter most? Examining the association<br />
between income and life satisfaction over the life course. Psychology and aging, 30(1), 120-<br />
-135.<br />
Clark, A. E. & Oswald, A. J. (1996). Satisfaction and Comparison Income. Journal of Public<br />
Economics, 61, 359-381.<br />
Cohn, M. A., Fredrickson, B. L., Brown, S. L., Mikels, J. A. & Conway, A. M. (2009). Happiness<br />
unpacked: positive emotions increase life satisfaction by building resilience. Emotion, 9(3),<br />
361.<br />
Croatian bureau of statistics (2017). Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia<br />
Croatian chamber of economy (2016). Counties — large economy differences in small country.<br />
Retrieved from https://www.hgk.hr/documents/<br />
upanijevelikegospodarskerazlikenamalomprostoru5757722c5b20e65.pdf<br />
Cummins, R.A. (1996): The Domains of Life Satisfaction: An Attempt to Order Chaos. Social<br />
Indicators Research, 38, 303-332. doi: 10.1007/BF00292050<br />
Cuñado, J. & de Gracia, F. P. (2012). Does education affect happiness? Evidence for Spain. Social<br />
indicators research, 108(1), 185-196.<br />
Diener, E. & Chan, M. Y. (2011). Happy people live longer: Subjective well-being contributes to<br />
health and longevity. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 3(1), 1-43.<br />
Diener, E. & Seligman, M. E. (2002). Very happy people. Psychological science, 13(1), 81-84.<br />
Diener, E., Helliwell, J. F. & Kahneman, D. (Eds.) (2010). International differences in well-being.<br />
New York: Oxford University Press.<br />
Diener, E., Lucas, R. E. & Oishi, S. (2002). Subjective well-being: The science of happiness and life<br />
satisfaction. In C.R. Snyder & S.J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of Positive Psychology. Oxford and<br />
New York: Oxford University Press.<br />
Fisher, C. D. (2010). Happiness at work. International journal of management reviews, 12(4), 384-<br />
-412.<br />
Fordyce, M. W. (1988): A review of research on The Happiness Measures: A sixty second index of<br />
happiness and mental health. Social Indicators Research, 20, 63-89. doi: 10.1007/BF00302333<br />
Kaliterna LipovËan, Lj., BabaroviÊ, T. & Brajπa Æganec, A. (2017). Subjective well-being in Croatia:<br />
differences between the Adriatic coast and the continent. In Imagining the Mediterranean:<br />
challenges and perspectives. Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, VERN' Group, HAZU, EMAN.<br />
Kaliterna-LipovËan, L. & Brajπa-Æganec, A. (2017). Kvaliteta æivljenja, sreÊa i æivotno zadovoljstvo u<br />
Hrvatskoj i zemljama EU, te usporedbe sjeverozapadne i ostalih dijelova Hrvatske. Radovi<br />
Zavoda za znanstveni rad Varaædin, (28), 139-153.<br />
Lawless, N. M. & Lucas, R. E. (2011). Predictors of regional well-being: A county-level analysis.<br />
Social Indicators Research, 101, 341-357.<br />
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Culture and subjective well-being, 3(2), 91-317.<br />
Mroczek, D. K. & A. Spiro (2005). Change in life satisfaction during adulthoood: findings from the<br />
veteran’s affairs normative aging study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88(1),<br />
189-202.<br />
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developmental perspective on happiness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75(5),<br />
1333-1349.<br />
Myers, D. G. (2000). The funds, friends, and faith of happy people. American Psychologist, 55, 56-<br />
-67.<br />
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at http://barometar.pilar.hr<br />
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Tay (Eds.), Handbook of well-being. Salt Lake City, UT: DEF Publishers.<br />
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to health. Journal of personality, 77(6), 1747-1776.<br />
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World Values Survey (2007). Retrieved from www.worldvaluessurvey.org<br />
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Axel LUTTENBERGER<br />
GOVERNANCE AND<br />
MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
A significant part of the Croatian population lives by the coast and depends on the sea<br />
for its activities. The ever more intense use of the coastal sea, in combination with climate<br />
changes, have placed additional pressure on the marine environment. The list of<br />
risks covers the adverse impacts — from tourism and marine transport, unsustainable<br />
fisheries, eutrophication, noise pollution from maritime transport and port activities,<br />
drilling and underwater acoustic devices. Moreover, pressure has been placed on the<br />
environment by invasive species, ocean acidification, sand extraction, oil exploration<br />
and coastal development with the sprawling of artificial areas.<br />
The coastal area is also extremely exposed due to the practices of predatory investors,<br />
insufficient materials and human resource capacity in governance. This paper<br />
evaluates the policies in coastal areas, planning approaches in spatial planning, marine<br />
spatial planning and integrated coastal zone management, selected sources of international<br />
law, maritime domain and challenges in governing the coastal area.<br />
2. POLICIES IN COASTAL AREAS<br />
Governance as an action or manner of governing the state or authorities within the<br />
state includes the establishment of policies and continuous monitoring of their proper<br />
implementation by the members of the governing body of an organization (Kjaer,<br />
2004). The characteristics of good governance are participation, rule of law, transparency,<br />
responsiveness, consensus orientation, equity, effectiveness and efficiency, accountability<br />
and strategic vision.<br />
The maritime domain, constituted by the sea, seashore, islands and waters, is of<br />
utmost importance because it is a common good governed by a public authority that<br />
must care for it, maintain it and is responsible for it. Common good means no ownership<br />
or other property rights are allowed on the maritime domain (including booth infrastructure<br />
and superstructure). Maritime domain is not owned by state, rather it is<br />
solely governed by it. The existing maritime domain system is extremely vulnerable due<br />
to the practices of predatory investors, insufficient materials and the human resource<br />
capacity of state administration bodies and local self-government units.<br />
Spatial planning refers to the methods used largely by the public sector to influence<br />
the future distribution of activities in the area (PAP/RAC, 2007). Integrated coastal<br />
management aims for the coordinated application of different policies affecting the<br />
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coastal zone and is related to activities such as nature protection, aquaculture, fisheries,<br />
agriculture, industry, offshore wind energy, shipping, tourism, development of infrastructure<br />
as well as mitigation and adaptation to climate change. It will contribute to<br />
the sustainable development of coastal zones by the application of an approach that<br />
respects the limits of natural resources and ecosystems, the so-called ecosystem-based<br />
approach. Integrated coastal management covers a full cycle of information collection,<br />
planning, decision-making, management and monitoring of implementation. It is important<br />
to involve all stakeholders across different sectors to ensure broad support for<br />
the implementation of management strategies (Proposal COM, 2013).<br />
3. PLANNING APPROACHES<br />
Since its inception in the 1960s, the concept and approach to spatial planning on land<br />
has undergone some significant transformations, from the development of a project- or<br />
permit-based approach to a more comprehensive approach to use resource planning<br />
based on distinct areas. In the second phase, development occurred from a pure means<br />
of physically organizing space to an increasingly communicative activity that needs to<br />
rely on co-operation between different scales of decision-making, sectors and stakeholders.<br />
More recently, spatial planning has been linked to the concept of coastal governance,<br />
where the focus is as much on the process of planning as it is on the actual<br />
output.<br />
It should be noted that there is no universally accepted definition of marine spatial<br />
planning (hereinafter: MSP) or what a marine spatial plan should consist of. Spatial<br />
planning refers to the methods used largely by the public sector to influence the future<br />
distribution of activities in the area. Coastal zones are between maritime and terrestrial<br />
development. Drainage areas or land-based impacts from activities such as agriculture<br />
and urban growth are relevant in the context of MSP.<br />
MPS is innovative in its recognition that the oceans are no longer free for all commons,<br />
but are rather a space where human interests, responsibilities (established and<br />
emerging) and ecosystems interact.<br />
A marine area is tridimensional and dynamic in its character, so that each site will<br />
have multiple uses, simultaneously or during various periods or seasons. In the mentioned<br />
there are some private ownership rights, although the sea is generally a public<br />
and not a private resource.<br />
4. SELECTED SOURCES OF INTERNATIONAL LAW<br />
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea provides legal basis to allocate<br />
activities and duty to protect the marine environment without expressly referring to the<br />
MSP. There are several marine areas in which coastal states can exercise jurisdiction regarding<br />
the MSP, such as internal waters, territorial seas, archipelagic waters, contigu-<br />
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ous zones, the continental shelf, exclusive economic zones and fishery zones (UN-<br />
CLOS, 1982).<br />
The Convention on Biological Diversity stipulates a commitment to introduce environmental<br />
impact assessment procedures for proposed activities that may have adverse<br />
effects on biological diversity, including public participation (CBD, 1992).<br />
The United Nations Conference on Environment & Development, held in Rio de<br />
Janeiro, Brazil, from 3 to 14 June, 1992, in Chapter 17, sets out framework program of<br />
action for achieving protection and sustainable development of the marine environment<br />
and its resources. The program areas include, among others, marine environmental<br />
protection and integrated management and sustainable development of coastal areas<br />
(Rio, 1992).<br />
The Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May<br />
2002 concerning the implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Europe,<br />
although not making a reference to MSP, provides a basis for implementation as<br />
a part of the requirements of Member States to develop a national Integrated Coastal<br />
Zone Management Strategy (ICZM, OJ L 148, 2002).<br />
Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June<br />
2008 established a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental<br />
policy (Marine Strategy Framework Directive), pursuing the ecosystem-based approach<br />
in the sense that the adoption of decisions can no longer be based solely on<br />
the sectorial approach, but must reflect major transboundary marine ecosystems that<br />
should be preserved in order to maintain the basic resources for all maritime activities.<br />
Governance based on ecosystems constitutes an integrated approach and differs from<br />
approaches to date, which have mostly been focused on particular species, sectors, activities<br />
or problems, and considers the cumulative effect of various sectors. Ecosystem<br />
services include provisioning services (food, raw materials, fresh water, medicinal resources),<br />
regulating services (local climate and air quality, carbon sequestration and<br />
storage, moderation of extreme events, wastewater treatment, erosion prevention and<br />
maintenance of soil fertility, pollination, biological control), habitat or supporting services<br />
(habitats for species, maintenance of genetic diversity, soil formation, photosynthesis,<br />
primary production, nutrient recycling, i.e. services needed to maintain other<br />
services) and cultural services (recreation, mental and physical health, tourism, aesthetic<br />
values, spiritual and religious values and a sense of place). The human dimension<br />
of MSP can be simplified in most cases to listing and mapping activities (e.g. oil and<br />
gas, fisheries, shipping). These are of course vital to document, but they are complex<br />
processes across a variety of scales, parallel to biophysical processes. Ecosystem-based<br />
approaches have transformed both the way we view biophysical processes and, by association,<br />
and also the way we now manage the biophysical environment by understanding<br />
the processes, connections, space and scales. In the same way, human dimensions<br />
need to be examined through a similar understanding of processes (e.g. community<br />
and territory), connections (e.g. within and across communities, economies), space<br />
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(e.g. territories, cultural perceptions) and scales (e.g. local, regional, national scales of<br />
society) (MSFD, OJ L 164, 2008).<br />
5. MARITIME DOMAIN<br />
According to the Croatian Constitution, it is a constitutional category that the sea, seashore,<br />
islands, waters, air space, mineral resources and other natural assets, as well as<br />
land, forests, flora and fauna, other components of the natural environment, real estate<br />
and items of particular cultural, historical, economic or ecological significance, which<br />
are specified by law to be of interest for the Republic of Croatia, shall enjoy special<br />
protection (Constitution, OG 56/90, 1990 as amended).<br />
The Law on Maritime Domain and Seaports prescribes that the maritime domain<br />
is constituted by internal sea waters and the territorial sea, their bed and subsoil and<br />
parts of the land that are by nature intended for public maritime use or have been declared<br />
as such, and everything connected with this part of the land on the surface or<br />
underneath. The following is considered to constitute the maritime domain: the coast,<br />
the ports, the breakwaters, the levees, the shoals, the reefs, the estuaries flowing into<br />
the sea, the canals connected with the sea and in the sea, maritime subsoil and all animate<br />
and inanimate natural resources (Law, OG 158/03, 2003 as amended).<br />
The boundary of maritime domain is determined by the existing natural and manmade<br />
legally constructed obstacles. Demarcating the maritime domain provides legal<br />
grounds for the registration of maritime domain in the land registry books.<br />
6. CHALLENGES IN GOVERNING THE COASTAL AREA<br />
Spatial planning is undertaken with the aim of creating a more rational territorial organization<br />
of land uses, and the linkages between them, to balance the demands for<br />
development with the need to protect the environment and to achieve social economic<br />
objectives. Spatial planning embraces measures to coordinate the spatial impacts of<br />
other sector policies, to achieve a more even distribution of economic development between<br />
regions that would otherwise be created by market forces and to regulate the<br />
conversion of land and property uses. However, the existence of maritime spatial planning<br />
alone does not guarantee that sea areas are being used sustainably (Runko Luttenberger<br />
& Luttenberger, 2014). MSP should be developed in a transparent manner<br />
and should advocate public interest. Coherence between terrestrial and MSP should be<br />
achieved.<br />
MSP operates within three dimensions, addressing activities on the sea bed, in the<br />
water column and on the surface. This allows for the same space to be used for different<br />
purposes. Time should also be considered as a fourth dimension, since the compatibility<br />
of uses and the management needs of a particular maritime region might vary<br />
over time (COM 791 final 2008).<br />
MSP is also innovative in the sense that it recognizes that the oceans are no longer<br />
free for all commons, but are rather a space where human interests, responsibilities (es-<br />
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A. Luttenberger: Governance and Marine Spatial Planning<br />
tablished and emerging) and ecosystems interact. Land-based activities are relevant to<br />
MSP, and urbanism has a direct impact on areas of impervious surfaces, pollution and<br />
intensity of storm runoff as well as pollution of the sea.<br />
Spatial planning is also being linked to the concept of coastal governance, where<br />
focus is as much on the process of planning as it is on the actual output. Present planning<br />
in marine environment is very similar to land planning of the sixties. Much can be<br />
learned from the existing systems of land-use planning, but when planning it is also<br />
necessary to take into account the existing differences. First, a marine area is tri-dimensional<br />
and dynamic in its character, meaning that each site will have multiple uses, simultaneously<br />
or during various periods or seasons, as opposed to the constancy of use<br />
at land.<br />
In many ways, MSP is comparable to integrated coastal zone management. For example,<br />
both are integrated, strategic, and participatory, and both aim to maximize compatibilities<br />
among human activities and to reduce conflicts among human uses and between<br />
human uses and nature. The boundaries of coastal zone management have been<br />
limited in most countries to a narrow strip of coastline within a kilometer or two from<br />
the shoreline. Only rarely have the inland boundaries of coastal management included<br />
coastal watersheds or catchment areas. Even more rarely does coastal management extend<br />
into the territorial sea and beyond to the exclusive economic zone.<br />
Croatia has an extensive spatial planning system, but an ICZM strategy has not yet<br />
been developed, and no specific Maritime Spatial Planning regulations exist in Croatia.<br />
Likewise, environmental impact assessment was never coherently included in the physical<br />
planning system. The 300-meter marine belt, which is protected under the Act on<br />
Physical Planning and Construction and the Regulation on Development and Protection<br />
of the Protected Coastal Area, could be considered an exception (Act, 2013 as<br />
amended).<br />
The most recent spatial plans of various Croatian counties have indicated that little<br />
has been done regarding MSP, except for standard aspects such as berths, submarine<br />
cables and pipelines, ports, etc. A comprehensive plan would require the availability<br />
of much more data, especially knowledge of the situation concerning marine ecosystems.<br />
The Dinaric karst, the greatest continuous karst area in Europe, encompasses<br />
half of the Adriatic Sea bed — a pronounced biodiversity of habitats and benthic fauna<br />
located over a small area. In the author’s opinion, due to the value of its marine natural<br />
resources and coastal karst, Croatia should foster MSP, integrated with quality environmental<br />
impact assessment and active participation of local communities.<br />
7. CONCLUSION<br />
Governance and marine spatial planning should be developed in a transparent manner<br />
and should advocate public interest in order to optimize the use of the sea, reduce the<br />
cost of information, regulation, planning and decision-making.<br />
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Marine spatial planning and integrated coastal zone management strategies need<br />
to be mutually coordinated, ensure effective cross-border co-operation between states<br />
and between national bodies and stakeholders in relevant sectoral policies as well as<br />
identify the cross-border effects of marine spatial plans and integrated coastal zone<br />
management strategies on seawater and coastal areas.<br />
It should be highlighted that marine spatial planning and integrated coastal zone<br />
management strategies need to be mutually coordinated, must ensure effective crossborder<br />
co-operation between States national bodies and stakeholders in relevant sectoral<br />
policies and identify cross-border effects of marine spatial plans and integrated<br />
coastal zone management strategies on seawater and coastal areas. In the implementation<br />
of marine spatial planning, active stakeholder participation, process development<br />
as well as monitoring and evaluation of project implementation have been proposed.<br />
The coordinating body should be independent of the sectors in its role, which is technical<br />
in character, and should be subject to the control of a democratically elected body<br />
or public authority, with clear rules for representation.<br />
Maritime domain in the Republic of Croatia is a common good governed by public<br />
authority that must care for it, maintain it and is responsible for it. Although there<br />
are some private ownership rights in coastal zones, the sea is generally a public and<br />
not a private resource. Due to the value of its marine natural resources and coastal<br />
karst, Croatia should institutionalize and foster the MSP, integrated with high quality<br />
environmental impact assessment and active participation of local communities.<br />
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has emerged as an essential element of a<br />
preventive approach to environmental protection and sustainable development and has<br />
accordingly received considerable attention. It provides decision-makers with information<br />
as to the possible effects of a proposed activity before the activity takes place,<br />
thereby allowing for an informed decision to be made on whether the activity should<br />
be allowed to proceed, whether further measures are required before such authorization<br />
is granted or whether other alternatives are preferable.<br />
In the enforcement of governance and marine spatial planning, active stakeholder<br />
participation, process development as well as monitoring and evaluation of project<br />
implementation are required.<br />
References<br />
Kjaer, Anne Mette, Governance, Cambridge, Ed. Polity Press, 2004, p. 3.<br />
Marine Spatial Planning: A Theoretical Overview, PAP/RAC, Split, October 2007.<br />
Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework<br />
for maritime spatial planning and integrated coastal Management, Brussels, 12. 3. 2013. COM<br />
(2013) 133 final 2013/0074 (COD)<br />
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, A/CONF.62/121, United<br />
Nations, New York, 1983, 8.<br />
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 1992, United Nations Treaty Series, Vol. 1760, I-<br />
30619<br />
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A. Luttenberger: Governance and Marine Spatial Planning<br />
United Nations Conference on Environment & Development, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3 to 14 June<br />
1992, UN Doc.A/CONF.151/26 (Vol.I), http://www.un.org/documents/ga/conf151/<br />
aconf15126-1annex1.htm<br />
Council Recommendation of the European Parliament and the Council of 30 May 2002 concerning<br />
the implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Europe (2002/413/EC), OJ L<br />
148, 6. 6. 2002.<br />
Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 establishing a<br />
framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy (Marine Strategy<br />
Framework Directive), OJ EU, L.164/19 of 25. 6. 2008.<br />
Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, Ustav Republike Hrvatske, NN 56/90, 135/97, 08/98, 113/00,<br />
124/00, 28/01, 41/01, 55/01, 76/10, 85/10, 05/14.<br />
Law on Maritime Domain and Seaports, Zakon o pomorskom dobru i morskim lukama, NN 158/03,<br />
100/04, 141/06, 38/09, 123/11, 56/16.<br />
Runko Luttenberger, Lidija, Luttenberger Axel, Challenges of Marine Spatial Planning in Eastern<br />
Adriatic, Challenges of Marine Spatial Planning in Eastern Adriatic, Book of Proceedings, 6th<br />
International Maritime Scientific Conference, Faculty of Maritime Studies Split, 2014, pp. 33-40.<br />
Act on Physical Planning and Construction, Zakon o prostornom ureappleenju, NN 153/13, 65/17.<br />
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Jasmina OV»AR, Mario MIKULAN<br />
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT<br />
— PERSONAL AND INSULAR<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
Sustainable development should be based on economic efficiency, social progress, and<br />
environmental responsibility. Economically sustainable development implies achieving<br />
economic growth and efficiency. Social sustainable development is accomplished by<br />
achieving a satisfactory level of living standard. Ecologically sustainable development<br />
implies the ability of the environment to withstand pollution and exploitation of natural<br />
resources (Herceg, 2013). Various authors and institutions have been giving various<br />
modified and outdated definitions of sustainable development in an effort to improve<br />
these deficiencies, so today there are more than 300 attempts to define sustainable development.<br />
However, all the definitions are given with the same common message<br />
about the need for directing human activities towards preserving the present and future<br />
environment while, at the same time, rationalising the use of natural resources to<br />
meet human needs (LakuπiÊ, 2013).<br />
The islands of the Adriatic archipelago are distinguished by their indented coastline,<br />
natural beauty and riches, a kind of isolation, simplicity of existence, modesty and<br />
rich historical, cultural and ethnical heritage. While all of this qualifies as positive aspects<br />
of islands, islanders leave their homeland and go to the mainland in search of a<br />
modern, more advanced, existentially better and safer life. On the other hand, residents<br />
of the mainland feel tired and overloaded with obligations on a daily basis, overwhelmed<br />
with chasing the material and intellectual. People are becoming more aware<br />
of the need for change and are pursuing new and healthier lifestyles in order to improve<br />
and preserve their health and live more conscious and freer lives. In order to<br />
achieve this, it is necessary to slow down, almost come to a full stop, and move away<br />
from the noise of overcrowded environments to the silence of unpopulated nature.<br />
Accommodation units constructed in the form of modern dugouts (rock shelters)<br />
offer basic protection from the elements and animals. Built in accordance with the principles<br />
of designing passive houses, they offer a special, direct relationship with the environment,<br />
i.e. nature, while meeting the minimum conditions of modern living, which<br />
is consistent with working on oneself and with new cognitive values. The essence of<br />
the conceived project is to achieve seclusion, to get a chance for introspection and to<br />
escape from the crowds.<br />
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1.1. Aims, Methods and Hypothesis of the Research<br />
The aim of the research is dual. The first objective was to determine whether it is possible<br />
to construct tourist accommodation units in the form of dugouts in the hilly, mostly<br />
rocky relief of the islands of the Adriatic archipelago, in accordance with the underlying<br />
principles of low-energy and passive houses construction, with the units facing<br />
south and with a view of the sea, including the mandatory use of renewable energy<br />
sources. The second objective was to determine whether people have a desire and<br />
need to work on their personal spiritual development within these types of planned<br />
accommodation units in small sustainable centres, with the guidance and support of<br />
experienced and mature therapists.<br />
Three research methods are used in the paper: the analysis of relevant theoretical<br />
and empirical literature and current statistical methodology and field data, survey research<br />
method.<br />
The survey method is a special form of non-experimental research that uses a personal<br />
statement of opinions, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours as a basic source of data,<br />
obtained by a corresponding standardised series of questions (Milas, 2009). The aim<br />
of the survey is to examine the potential interest among the respondents for the proposed<br />
form of health tourism. The experimental research method includes a selected<br />
group of people who spent a week in a programme of personal renewal as a part of<br />
the “Peljeπac Project”.<br />
The hypothesis set out in the paper is this: “There is a desire and need for personal<br />
emotional development and spiritual growth, which can be realised by offering<br />
a health tourism product on the Adriatic islands — a Robinson Crusoe type of holiday<br />
in modern passive houses, based on indigenous caves.”<br />
1.2. Prototype for the Development of Insular Health Tourism<br />
A new health tourism product of the Adriatic islands can be created to provide people<br />
the opportunity for quality self-reformation and self-experimentation with the goal of<br />
achieving change and progress in terms of individualisation and improvement of one’s<br />
health and quality of life. It is envisaged that people come to the islands to create the<br />
preconditions for working on themselves and their personal growth through shorter or<br />
longer, casual or permanent stays in a small community. For a certain period of time<br />
they live in environmentally self-sustaining settlements, in contemporary passive houses<br />
modelled on indigenous caves, built in a natural and yet unspoiled environment far<br />
from the noise and pollution of cities. In the context of this research, accommodation<br />
units are ecologically self-sustainable dwellings made of natural materials in accordance<br />
with the environment; they are energy-independent, comfortable and meet basic needs.<br />
In order to encourage the processes of turning “inwards”, the houses are only minimally<br />
equipped with modern distractors that are pointed outwards and allow communication<br />
with the outside world. People are without the possibility of getting information<br />
through the media, without television and radio, the Internet, computers and any<br />
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other modern way of accessing information or entertainment, with the aim of strengthening<br />
their own capacities to be “present”, be “here and now”, be aware of themselves<br />
and their own existence and of experiencing a basic connection with nature and the<br />
universe.<br />
2. HOW TO FOSTER PERSONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT<br />
More and more individuals in a certain period of their lives appear to have a strong internal<br />
need to re-examine their current lifestyle and begin, often unconsciously, the<br />
quest for change.<br />
Although the initiator is usually basically the same — a suffering and internal dissatisfaction<br />
— the reason for the search may seem different. This, of course, depends<br />
on the very structure of the personality and degree of the individual’s maturity. There<br />
may be numerous external initiating circumstances. They are usually sudden changes<br />
that disrupt the person’s dynamic balance that the person finds threatening, like an external<br />
loss (a separation or imminent separation) or simply an exhaustion with the way<br />
of life so far. The appearance of symptoms of psychiatric disorders is often a cause for<br />
medical, psychiatric or psychological assistance, and it is potentially the moment when<br />
some individuals become aware of the need for change. It isn’t until later that the desire<br />
to work on themselves appears. With the growth of awareness, usually with the<br />
assistance of more educated therapists-teachers, the consciousness and need for working<br />
on oneself is strengthened, with the aim of change, personal growth and development.<br />
Therapists-teachers encourage the separation process, a discernment and de-identification<br />
with the aim of the person’s individualisation, emotional and spiritual growth.<br />
The focus turns from the phase of hypertrophy of the material and intellectual reality,<br />
false identities and roles and orientation towards external reality and external achievements,<br />
to the “inward” — a sensational, experiencing reality, with the purpose of awakening<br />
and growth of the emotional body. Thus, in mature or healthy individuals, a new<br />
balance is gradually established.<br />
A return to nature, through living and experiencing the communities and settlements<br />
proposed in this paper, is aimed precisely at catalysing the process of individualisation<br />
and personal growth. Departing from the routine of everyday life, such as external<br />
noise and pollution, and remaining in nature and silence encourages turning to<br />
oneself — “inwards”; mature therapist-teachers catalyse all the necessary separation<br />
and individualisation processes.<br />
Does contact with the natural environment really contribute to all-around mental<br />
and social health? Nature affects people; trees, water, birds singing, colourful flowers<br />
are all important elements of a natural and quality life. In this sense, contact with nature<br />
is an important component of existence (Frumkin, 2001).<br />
Recent research in this area proves that nature has an influence on a person’s general<br />
health and well-being. In one study, as many as 95% of respondents said their<br />
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mood changed from depression, stress and anxiety to calmness and balance after their<br />
stay in nature.<br />
3. BACK TO NATURE<br />
— SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION IN THE SIMPLEST FORM<br />
Construction is the key element for increasing the quality of the environment in which<br />
society lives and works. When thinking of the safety and suitability of a functional<br />
building, the impact of the building on the environment and society should be taken<br />
into consideration. The construction must meet all the requirements during its lifetime<br />
and be technically, ecologically and economically optimal (LakuπiÊ, 2013).<br />
The goals to be pursued in achieving sustainable development in construction are<br />
the improvement of construction and the environment; reduction of the economic, ecological<br />
and social aspects of sustainability by enhancing the value of construction; encouraging<br />
an active approach; stimulating innovation; separating economic growth<br />
from increased adverse impacts on the environment and/or society and reconciliation<br />
of the contradictory requirements of short-term and long-term planning and decisionmaking<br />
(LakuπiÊ, 2013).<br />
Ultimately, sustainable construction actually represents a return to nature, a respect<br />
for natural characteristics and use of natural energy sources. Although modern<br />
man has much larger needs compared to older generations, one cannot deny that the<br />
essence of survival has remained the same — air, water, food, sun, protection from the<br />
elements and animals and socialising. This paper begins with the assumption that a<br />
person who works on himself and seeks the true meaning of existence must strive to<br />
satisfy the basic needs, ignoring the modern-world luxuries he can afford. The question<br />
is not how much and what you can afford, but what is really necessary.<br />
Examples of sustainable construction, such as building passive dugouts for the<br />
purpose of quality, ecological and energy-sustainable housing, are becoming more frequent<br />
in the world as well as in Croatia.<br />
Picture 1 shows the exterior of a modern type of a dugout dwelling, an example<br />
of a partially buried dugout with openings for sunlight and air, facing the south. The<br />
existing soil configuration is fully respected, and intervention in the space is minimal<br />
— the house is only visible from the south side, while all the other views are in line<br />
with the existing nature.<br />
These dugouts are made of materials that can withstand the pressure of the earth<br />
above and on the house itself as well as possible underground water activity. Thermal<br />
protection of the external walls and roofs is achieved by the construction of an earth<br />
embankment ten to fifty centimetres thick, and the introduction of sunlight is enabled<br />
through the south-oriented openings; they are completely protected from all atmospheric<br />
impacts — from frost and extreme temperatures that gradually destroy the façade<br />
and walls of classic houses. The lifespan of a dugout is about 200 years. Such<br />
buildings are highly resistant to earthquakes, drainage of roof water into nature (with-<br />
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Picture 1 Modern dugout (Source: http://www.ekokuce.com/arhitektura/principi/solarne-zemunice)<br />
out gutters) has been solved, no lightning rods are required, and sound insulation is<br />
excellent. The number of sunshine hours during the calendar year is very important for<br />
the most economical heating of a solar dugout as well as for all passive solar facilities.<br />
This paper envisages the construction of tourist accommodation units in the form<br />
of solar dugouts as an acceptable offer to people who come to find themselves and<br />
unite with nature. Any other form of accommodation would be in contrast with that<br />
worldview and what they are actually seeking specifically through this type of health<br />
tourism. The use of renewable energy sources is imperative for these types of buildings<br />
primarily due to their relationship with nature, but often because of the selection<br />
of sites that do not have access to existing infrastructure.<br />
Picture 2 shows the basic characteristics of modern dugouts and their construction<br />
principles<br />
— importance of location selection<br />
— the building and opening orientation towards the south<br />
— an earthen box around the house<br />
— high quality thermal insulation of the house and ventilation<br />
— reflective surfaces around the windows<br />
— a view of nature<br />
— renewable energy sources<br />
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Picture 2 Cross-section of the dugout with protective insulation layers and<br />
main characteristics of using the potential of the Sun and Earth<br />
(Source: http://www.samogrejnekuce.com/samogrejna-eko-kuca.html)<br />
The building of dugouts, especially those of a small floor surface intended for<br />
tourism, is covered in the Physical Planning Act, which refers to “the areas beyond the<br />
urban (construction) area of a municipality or city, which are determined by the spatial<br />
development plan of the local self-government unit” (Physical Planning Act, Official<br />
Gazette 153/13, 65/17) and the Building Act, Article 4, concerning the classification<br />
of buildings, according to which this type belongs to the third group of “buildings that<br />
can be built without a building permit” (Building Act, Official Gazette 153/13, 20/17).<br />
The possibility of this type of construction is prescribed by Article 4, “without a building<br />
permit and in accordance with the main project” only if it meets a specific purpose<br />
(the Ordinance on Simple and Other Construction Works and Works, OG 34/18). For<br />
the purpose of developing a Robinson Crusoe tourism product, Croatia’s Ministry of<br />
Tourism says it is currently working on modifications that would simplify obtaining a<br />
permit for constructing such a building within the legal regulations since the use permit<br />
is a basic prerequisite for the categorisation of tourist facilities.<br />
Conditions for the Robinson Crusoe type of accommodation stipulate that “the object<br />
must be outside an urban area, in an area where there is no access to infrastructure<br />
and must not be connected to the infrastructure (electricity, water, sewage, gas,<br />
telephone, etc.), the rooms should be made from local and natural materials and have<br />
natural features (old stone or wooden houses, huts, caves, etc.), they are not to provide<br />
catering services, but guests can prepare and consume food on their own and at<br />
their own risk”.<br />
These conditions allow turning to renewable energy sources from nature and returning<br />
to a natural way of life, which are the assumptions of the tourism offer considered<br />
in this paper.<br />
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4. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT — A SURVEY<br />
The survey research was conducted electronically via the Internet using the Google<br />
Forms application (https://www.google.com/intl/en/forms/about/) via e-mail and Facebook<br />
during a seven-day period between July 15 and 22, <strong>2018</strong>. The anonymous<br />
questionnaire was composed of fifteen questions and took up to five minutes to complete.<br />
The survey had 145 respondents, all of which were included in the statistical<br />
analysis of the data obtained. The survey was conducted on a sample of 106 female<br />
(73.1%) and 39 male respondents (26.9%). 22.8% of them were younger than 25 years<br />
of age, 29% between 26 and 40 years of age and 48.2% were older than 41.49% had a<br />
bachelor’s degrees, 25.5% associate degrees and 25.5% completed secondary education.<br />
29% of the respondents had a salary higher than 8,000 kunas, 43.4% made between<br />
4,000 and 8,000 kunas, while the remaining respondents made less than 4,000<br />
kunas or had no income of their own.<br />
Question 5: “Can you imagine your summer holiday in a quiet natural island landscape<br />
away from all forms of contemporary globalisation and pollution, including noise<br />
and crowds?” The responses to question 5 are shown in Figure 1.<br />
Question 6: “If you could choose between a holiday in a tourist resort or a hotel<br />
or a quiet and peaceful holiday in small settlements with environmentally sustainable<br />
and modern facilities in nature, far from tourist resorts and settlements, what would you<br />
choose? The responses to question 6 are shown in Figure 2.<br />
Yes<br />
93,1%<br />
No<br />
6.9%<br />
Figure 1<br />
Modern and<br />
ecologically<br />
sustainable small<br />
settlement<br />
84,8%<br />
A tourist resort<br />
or a hotel<br />
15.2%<br />
Figure 2<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
44.8% of the respondents would take a partner to their peaceful and quiet holiday<br />
in untouched nature, 37.9% of them would take a friend or family, while the remaining<br />
17.3% would go alone. 67.6% of the respondents are willing to give up their mobile<br />
phones, laptops, television and other contemporary distractors. For 76.7% of respondents,<br />
the basic motivation for choosing this kind of holiday is relaxation, a return<br />
to nature for 9.3% and working on oneself for the same percentage of respondents. Only<br />
4.7% of the participants expect to experience something new.<br />
Question 12: “Can you imagine this type of relaxation and self work becoming<br />
your new way of maintaining physical, mental and spiritual health?” The responses to<br />
question 12 are shown in Figure 3.<br />
Question 13: “Are you interested in guided group meditation, yoga and other<br />
forms of guided work for the purpose of personal growth and development, by trained<br />
therapists, teachers, assistants?” The responses to question 13 are shown in Figure 4.<br />
Yes<br />
91%<br />
No<br />
9%<br />
Figure 3<br />
No<br />
51.7%<br />
Yes<br />
48.3%<br />
Figure 4<br />
51.7% of the total number of respondents is interested in guided group meditations,<br />
yoga and other forms of guided work for the purpose of personal growth and<br />
development, guided by trained therapists. The largest percentage of respondents,<br />
34.5%, would choose the recommended type of holiday more than twice a year, and<br />
the majority respondents, 46.2% would like it to last for two to three weeks. Based on<br />
the survey indicators and data processing, the proposed hypothesis has been con-<br />
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firmed, which gives this research an additional value and paves the way for the realisation<br />
of the imagined and proposed type of insular health tourism.<br />
5. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT — FIELD RESEARCH “PELJE©AC”<br />
In May <strong>2018</strong>, at the initiative and organisation of one of the authors of this paper, an<br />
experimental study was conducted with a selected group of eight volunteers who spent<br />
seven days on the Peljeπac peninsula for the purpose of personal development. The<br />
group consisted of people aged fifty to sixty-five, males and females, who had been<br />
systematically working on their personal development for several years on their own<br />
as well as through continuous individual psychotherapy.<br />
The purpose of the experiment was to demonstrate to what extent separation from<br />
everyday life, routine and obligations, from non-existence in the lesser or greater pollution<br />
of urban lifestyles in crowded and noisy places, may encourage turning “inwards”<br />
to oneself. As the participants were already undergoing psychotherapy, the goal<br />
was to encourage further introspection and contribute to further awareness of the unconscious<br />
dynamics of intrapsychic relations and unconscious intrapsychic conflicts.<br />
Participants were placed in a small rural environment, in a preserved natural environment,<br />
away from urban areas, right by the sea and at a time when were no tourists<br />
present but only a relatively small domicile population.<br />
Despite a relatively short period of time, the goals that had been set by the majority<br />
of the experimental group members were more or less attained, when looking at<br />
the personal developmental process in the continuum of changing one’s orientation<br />
from the external material and intellectual, to the emotional and spiritual. All members<br />
of the experimental group are aware of the benefits of further self-work and acquiring<br />
new experiences.<br />
6. ISLAND DEVELOPMENT — ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF<br />
THE PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT<br />
Based on the previously presented personal development project realised through the<br />
new island health tourism product, it is necessary to offer accommodation units which<br />
would satisfy the users' needs and their worldview.<br />
The study and analysis of sustainable building in the simplest form suggests the<br />
construction of unobtrusive, nature-friendly solar dugouts built to meet man’s needs,<br />
half buried in the karst terrain and surrounded by indigenous plants that also serve as<br />
protection against summer overheating. The windows and doors open to the south or<br />
southeast and the incorporated technology enables the building's sustainability and selfsufficiency.<br />
Staying in these accommodation units offers maximum connection with nature<br />
and, at the same time, minimises the need to stay indoors. The point is to turn to nature,<br />
to spend time in it, to do all activities outdoors, to connect with the authentic eco-<br />
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Picture 3 Geographical, relief and urbanistic characteristics of Vis<br />
(Source: https://www.google.hr/search?q=plan+namjene+povr%C5%A1ina+otoka+Visa&tbm)<br />
nomic activities of the islanders, to engage in various workshops, such as drywall construction,<br />
fishing, preparation of local dishes in order to find the essence of existence.<br />
Dugout accommodation units can be urbanistically planned and architecturally designed<br />
as independent units (one to two users) or as units that would include multiple<br />
accommodation units — three to four accommodation units with the common use of<br />
a minimalist living and business space. The choice would be left to the investor and<br />
the architects, their expertise, creativity and need to adapt to the existing conditions in<br />
the field.<br />
The island of Vis is only one possible destination for this project and perhaps the<br />
most interesting one because of its distance from the mainland, its lack of mass tourism<br />
and its preserved nature.<br />
“Of course, we are talking about natural beauties and traditional Adriatic architecture,<br />
but the special attraction of the island of Vis lies in its atmosphere. During the<br />
summer Vis is considerably different from the islands of Hvar, BraË or KorËula. The<br />
main reason for this is probably that Vis offers only a very small number of hotel beds<br />
so people who like it for their own specific reasons and not by “regular tourists” who<br />
may have seen its name in a brochure and thought it might be a nice place to visit.”<br />
(Jonathan Bousfield 1 )<br />
Picture 3 shows the island of Vis from a “bird’s eye view”, showing the geographical<br />
features of the island, its relief, indented coastline, settlement locations, existing<br />
1 Jonathan Bousfield — an Englishman whose specialty is writing about Croatia for a prestigious<br />
edition of tourist guides Rough Guide and who listed Vis in its Top 5 Croatian destinations<br />
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J. OvËar, M. Mikulan: Sustainable Development — Personal and Insular<br />
Picture 4 A simple form of a modern stone dugout<br />
(https://www.niftyhomestead.com/blog/earth-sheltered-homes/)<br />
traffic network and more. The impression of untouched nature is astonishing. That is<br />
why the island is recommended for peaceful vacations and architecture that does not<br />
devastate its current state with modern materials, technologies and architectural design.<br />
Picture 4 shows a prototype of stone dugouts that could, according to their characteristics,<br />
be incorporated into the natural landscape and, at the same time, have a<br />
modernly equipped interior, which is imperative for the modern man and his/her<br />
needs. Local materials, proper orientation of the openings, plants, minimally invasive<br />
construction and a beautiful view of the sea is all that people really need to take a<br />
break from everyday life and from themselves.<br />
It is absolutely imperative that this kind of building uses only natural materials.<br />
Therefore, the most commonly used materials are wood, straw, stone, paper, earth,<br />
bamboo, etc. (KolumbiÊ, Dunappleer, 2011). Stone is a kind of building material that is<br />
abundant in nature, and it has a great density that ensures an additional form of protection<br />
to its structures (Berge, 2009).<br />
Renewable energy sources that can be used in the dwellings on the Adriatic islands<br />
are solar energy, marine energy (waves), wind power on land and at the sea,<br />
heat from the rocks, etc., which is especially significant not only because of the worldview<br />
and the environment but also because of the unnecessary investment in expanding<br />
the existing infrastructure network. The use of solar collectors, photovoltaic cells,<br />
rainwater collecting, desalination of sea water, geothermal heat pumps or rock geoprobes<br />
are just some of the modern technological achievements people use without destroying<br />
and uncompromisingly exploiting natural resources, keeping the future gener-<br />
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ations in mind. And it is exactly this kind of energy awareness that is the basis of sustainable<br />
development.<br />
The building of dugouts, especially those of a small floor surface intended for<br />
tourism, is covered in the Physical Planning Act, which refers to “the areas beyond the<br />
urban (construction) area of a municipality or city, which are determined by the spatial<br />
development plan of the local self-government unit” (Physical Planning Act, Official<br />
Gazette 153/13, 65/17) and the Building Act, Article 4, concerning the classification<br />
of buildings, according to which this type belongs to the third group of “buildings that<br />
can be built without a building permit” (Building Act, Official Gazette 153/13, 20/17).<br />
The possibility of this type of construction is prescribed by Article 4, “without a building<br />
permit and in accordance with the main project” only if it meets a specific purpose<br />
(the Ordinance on Simple and Other Construction Works and Works, OG 34/18).<br />
Not only is sustainable development desirable, it is also legally required to achieve<br />
the highest possible energy class for each building. The energy certificate all buildings<br />
must obtain is a strong marketing tool as well and can be used to promote energy efficiency<br />
and low-energy construction to achieve higher comfort of living and living in<br />
buildings (Ordinance on Energy Efficiency Inspection and Energy Certification, Official<br />
Gazette 88/17).<br />
7. CONCLUSION<br />
“It’s not by accident that the pristine wilderness of our planet disappears as the understanding<br />
of our own inner wild natures fades” (Estes, 2006).<br />
More and more people are feeling the need to work on themselves, not only on<br />
the physical aspects but also on their awareness and on their psychological, emotional<br />
and spiritual growth — to live a more conscious, more complete and healthier life.<br />
It is the return to nature and the re-unification of the individual with nature and the<br />
universe, along with the guidance and support of experienced and mature therapists<br />
who stimulate changes in lifestyles and physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual<br />
growth. Guided programs in new island communities, where people can find ways<br />
to meet these needs and always return for more self-work for shorter or longer periods<br />
of time, can become a new form of island living.<br />
Island characteristics provide the maximum potential when it comes to sustainable<br />
development. Sustainable building elements such as earth, stone, air, sun, water, sea and<br />
wind are also the essential elements of life. Energy is not made and does not disappear.<br />
It lives and is fluent — both in terms of building and using energy resources as well as<br />
in the human body, mind and soul. It is the synergy of man and nature that the visitors<br />
to the island will experience through an organised health tourism product.<br />
The results of the conducted survey confirm that there is a high interest in these<br />
types of holidays among the respondents. 80.4% of them think they would be happy<br />
to relax and work on themselves in such a place, in small accommodation units built<br />
in harmony with nature. The majority would gladly participate in daily professionally<br />
guided spiritual renewals.<br />
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J. OvËar, M. Mikulan: Sustainable Development — Personal and Insular<br />
The hypothesis has been confirmed: “There is a desire and need for personal emotional<br />
development and spiritual growth, which can be realised by offering a health<br />
tourism product on the Adriatic islands — a Robinson Crusoe type of holiday in modern<br />
passive houses, based on indigenous caves.” The islands of the southern Adriatic<br />
archipelago were selected as the most suitable location due to their isolation, beauty,<br />
naturalness, favourable climate, soil configuration, protective vegetation and especially<br />
because of the silence and peace these islands offer, protected from seasonal tourist<br />
crowds; an island is a place that that offers a view of the horizon, where the beginning<br />
and the end can be seen; somewhere where there is an earthly Paradise and an opportunity<br />
for man to return and be one with nature, the universe and God.<br />
References<br />
Berge, B. (2009) The Ecology of Building Materials. Italia, Architectural Press.<br />
Building Act, Official Gazette 153/13, 20/17.<br />
Estes C. P. (2006). Æene koje trËe s vukovima, Algoritam, Zagreb, p. 15.<br />
Frumkin, H., MD, DrPH, FACP, FACOEM, (2001.) Beyond Toxicity Human Health and the Natural<br />
Environment — Medical Subject Headings (MeSH): animals, ecology, environmental health,<br />
nature, plants, trees (Am J Prev Med 2001;20(3):234-240) Ÿ 2001 American Journal of<br />
Preventive Medicine).<br />
Herceg, N. (2013) Okoliπ i odræivi razvoj. Zagreb, Synopsis.<br />
KolumbiÊ, N., Dunappleer, M. (2011) Materijali. Rijeka, Alfa d.d.<br />
Milas, G. (2009). IstraæivaËke metode u psihologiji i drugim druπtvenim znanostima, Naklada Slap,<br />
Jastrebarsko.<br />
LakuπiÊ, S. (2013) Izazovi u graditeljstvu 2 — Hrvatski graditeljski forum 2013. Zagreb, Hrvatski<br />
savez graappleevinskih inæenjera.<br />
Ordinance on Energy Efficiency Inspection and Energy Certification, Official Gazette 88/17.<br />
Ordinance on simple and other construction works and works, Official Gazette 34/18.<br />
Physical Planning Act, Official Gazette 153/13, 65/17.<br />
https://www.google.hr/intl/hr/forms/about/ — SURVEY.<br />
http://www.ekokuce.com/arhitektura/principi/solarne-zemunice<br />
http://www.samogrejnekuce.com/samogrejna-eko-kuca.html<br />
https://www.google.hr/search?q=plan+namjene+povr%C5%A1ina+otoka+Visa&tbm=isch&<br />
tbs=rimg:CQfCNYrjkeatIjhodNR5YoNmp8sUJ7pXsjrOnP4jeKA4l8fkrFZbJ5e5vjCyI4n5ECZo<br />
dgZ4dUp-IOVodP16L7F5-ioSCWh01Hlig2anESC6XICBFyUjKhIJyxQnuleyOs4R-<br />
ka5UX2c_1J8qEgmc_1iN4oDiXxxHnMLcHv7AoIioSCeSsVlsnl7m-<br />
EVo5n3YFPuotKhIJMLIjifkQJmgRv-6matHuTcsqEgl2Bnh1Sn4g5RHPy95Fi5-<br />
GoioSCWh0_1XovsXn6EUuqZd3WQwnN&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj4vsvI9rbaAhXBal<br />
AKHXhSCiMQ9C96BAgAEBs&biw=1600&bih=745&dpr=1#imgrc=aHT9ei-xefrCRM:<br />
https://www.niftyhomestead.com/blog/earth-sheltered-homes/<br />
251
Ivan PERKOV<br />
COPING WITH ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS<br />
IN CITIES ON THE CROATIAN COAST:<br />
SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF<br />
THE KAREPOVAC WASTE DISPOSAL<br />
RECOVERY PROCESS<br />
IN THE CITY OF SPLIT<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
Municipal waste management is one of the key ecological challenges of the modern<br />
world, and waste related topics have become increasingly important both in the public<br />
sphere and in the scientific community. Municipal solid waste is an unavoidable byproduct<br />
of modern societies’ production and consumption patterns. Creating waste<br />
management strategies is a complex and challenging task, influenced by technical sitespecific<br />
aspects.<br />
The city of Split is the second largest and the second most populated 1 city in Croatia<br />
(the only larger city being the state capital — Zagreb) and is the largest Croatian<br />
city on the Adriatic Coast. It lies on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea and is spread<br />
over a central peninsula and its surroundings. The city's economy relies mostly on tourism<br />
and the service industry, which is why it is particularly important how Split handles<br />
its municipal issues. It is important to note here that many other large Mediterranean<br />
cities with mostly tourism-oriented economies also have similar problems, Naples<br />
being the most notable one. The problem of the basic ecological system (air, water and<br />
soil) being polluted by waste matter as a result of the growing number of inhabitants<br />
is also analyzed in this paper.<br />
Split's waste disposal site Karepovac is currently undergoing a recovery process<br />
after having been neglected for decades. Residents of Split are quite dependent on<br />
tourism and they care about their city. However, the reaction of the local community<br />
in Split was not strong enough to solve the serious ecological problems related to Karepovac<br />
waste disposal. This paper offers mainly sociological viewpoints concerning the<br />
recovery process. We conducted interviews with the representatives of all the key ac-<br />
1 According to the 2011 census, the city of Split had 178,102 inhabitants<br />
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tors (political, expert, media and civil society) and gathered valuable insights on this<br />
topic.<br />
In the following chapter, we will offer the theoretical framework on the relation<br />
of the local community and municipal issues. After that, we will try to explain the social<br />
context in which the Karepovac landfill has been developing over the past decades.<br />
In the central part of the paper, results of the empirical research (semi-structured,<br />
in-depth interviews) will be presented and analyzed. Finally, we will try to give valuable<br />
insights about municipal waste management in Split, and we concluded that municipal<br />
waste has a great importance for local communities in all the Mediterranean<br />
tourist centers.<br />
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK<br />
In order to develop a quality analysis and reflections, it is important to know who is<br />
responsible for waste management. According to KuËar DragiËeviÊ et al. (2006), “The<br />
framework of the waste management system is determined by law, governing bodies<br />
and institutions. In Croatia, the governing bodies include the parliament, relevant ministries,<br />
county and town administration, and local offices for environmental protection,<br />
all within their authorities and responsibilities.” Current waste management in Croatia<br />
is characterized by a lack of accurate information about the quantity of waste produced,<br />
who produces how much and what type of waste and how it is further treated and disposed;<br />
by the inadequate treatment of waste and lack of adequate facilities within the<br />
waste management system (treatment, disposal); and by difficulties in finding appropriate<br />
locations for disposal sites (difficulties in obtaining approvals by local communities<br />
and permits by relevant authorities).<br />
Another relevant topic analyzed in this paper is citizen participation in the decision-making<br />
processes concerning their local communities. In order to participate in<br />
the decision-making processes, citizens need to be informed and educated about specific<br />
problems. Most importantly, citizens need to be motivated to engage in these processes,<br />
and they can only be motivated if they think their role can make any difference.<br />
Citizen participation also depends on the role and quality of non-governmental organizations<br />
(NGO) in society. Citizens and NGOs in Croatia usually have a corrective role<br />
and have yet to become policy-makers.<br />
Social values are important when talking about citizen participation in the local<br />
community and when discussing views on ecological topics. Social values in Croatia<br />
are highly marked by transition processes. In sociology, transition can be defined as a<br />
process of change of one political and social system to another. Croatia was a part of<br />
the former Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia for forty-five years (1945—1990). Following<br />
the fall of the Berlin Wall, Croatia and other socialist countries started the process of<br />
transition. However, in Croatia, those processes had been “put on hold” for a few years<br />
because of the Homeland War in which Croatia managed to gain its independence<br />
from Serbia. PeraËkoviÊ (2002) defines transition as “the process of social change, both<br />
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I. Perkov: Coping with Ecological Problems in Cities on the Croatian Coast...<br />
social structures and social values, with the aim of creating a new structure and new<br />
social values as guidelines for new forms of social activity” (PeraËkoviÊ, 2002, 489). Another<br />
notable Croatian sociologist states, “Considering the relationship of the Croatian<br />
society during transition towards ecological problems, conditions of political modernization<br />
in Croatia in the 1990s were not conducive to the formation of ecological consciousness,<br />
nor to the ecological behavior of citizens” (KarajiÊ, 2000 in MustapiÊ, 2009).<br />
We use the word waste every day, but the meaning of the term is not that simple.<br />
Waste is defined as any substance or object that the holder discards or intends or is required<br />
to discard. Any other object or substance whose collection, transport and treatment<br />
are necessary for the purpose of protecting public interests is also considered as<br />
waste. According to the Croatian Act on Sustainable Waste Management (2017), municipal<br />
waste “means waste generated by households or any other waste comparable in<br />
nature and composition to household waste, excluding production waste and waste<br />
from agriculture and forestry.” The same act defines “waste management as the collection,<br />
transport, recovery, disposal, and other waste treatment operations, including the<br />
supervision of such operations and the supervision and after-care of disposal sites, as<br />
well as the operations undertaken by dealers or brokers.”<br />
Very few Croatian authors have dealt with this topic from a sociological viewpoint.<br />
In 1992, Zoran ©uÊur wrote about the Mraclin case in Zagreb, in 2010 Marko MustapiÊ<br />
did research on waste management on the Makarska riviera in two papers, and Nenad<br />
Buzjak, Danijela Vuk and Martina JakoviËiÊ wrote about the Tarno case in Zagreb<br />
County in 2015. Meanwhile, BarËiÊ and IvanËiÊ (2010) state that “Unmanaged waste disposals<br />
are the main environmental problem in Croatia. In connection with this, municipal<br />
waste and landfills represent extremely high costs for some cities. Their impact on<br />
the environment is disadvantageous because it causes water, soil and air pollution with<br />
a constant danger to human health. The beginning of problem solving starts with the<br />
repair of untreated waste landfills” (Barcic, Ivancic, 2010).<br />
AIMS AND RESEARCH DESIGN<br />
The general aim of this paper is to examine how the local community in Split perceives<br />
the recovery process of the Karepovac landfill. A local community can be defined on<br />
various levels but, for the purpose of this paper, we can define a local community as<br />
a group of people sharing common attitudes, experiences and interests. The responsibility<br />
for the space and decision-making processes is attributed to different actors, the<br />
local community being the most important one. (MiπetiÊ, 2017, 198). MustapiÊ (2009)<br />
argues that the local communities in Croatia are full of “small” environmental problems<br />
and that Croatian people have entered into the twenty-first century with unresolved environmental<br />
problems due to the consequences of the Homeland War, the legacy of<br />
socialism and the low level of awareness about environmental problems.<br />
Another important concern is how citizens react to municipal issues. Taking this<br />
into consideration, we should mention the well-known NIMBY syndrome that has been<br />
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explained and described in detail by many authors. ©uÊur (1992) notes that NIMBY is<br />
“a combination of sociological, psychological and economic factors” and, in fact, it represents<br />
“a natural reaction of the citizens to the real or possible endangering of the<br />
community.” There are a lot of examples in recent Croatian history pointing to the occurrence<br />
of the NIMBY syndrome. Local community reaction to landfill proposals is<br />
very common, and local communities have often opposed announcements of thermal<br />
power plants, LNG terminals and various other projects that they have considered unfavorable.<br />
Other aims of this research were to examine how different types of actors (politicians,<br />
the media, civil society and experts) see the recovery process of the Karepovac<br />
waste disposal site, but furthermore, to examine the relations between actors and to<br />
determine their role in the process. Finally, the most important goal of this paper was<br />
to try to propose a long-term viable solution for waste management in the city of Split<br />
based on combining the opinions of all the actors. A qualitative method of deep, semistructured<br />
interviews with key actors was used in the research. A total of eight key actors<br />
were interviewed through July and August <strong>2018</strong>. The actors were divided into four<br />
categories:<br />
1. Political actors — one participant from the local government and one local opposition<br />
participant, both specializing in waste topics;<br />
2. Civil society actors — leadership members from two of the most important ecological<br />
civil society organizations in Split;<br />
3. Media actors — one journalist in one of the most widely-printed media that actively<br />
writes on the topic of waste and one journalist that writes a column in<br />
the city’s local media;<br />
4. Experts — two experts in the field of waste management.<br />
The interview was divided into several thematic units where we tried to explore<br />
the following topics: (1) social processes in Split since the independence of Croatia, (2)<br />
the city administration’s quality of work regarding environmental protection and waste<br />
management, (3) assessment of strategic and legal documents on waste management<br />
and the role of the European Union in waste management, (4) the level of trust in politics<br />
and decision-making processes, (5) assessment of the role of various actors (political,<br />
media, experts, civil society) in the process of Karepovac recovery, and (6) the ultimate<br />
sustainable solution for waste disposal in Split and its agglomeration.<br />
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS<br />
In the document Waste Management Plan of the Republic of Croatia for the Period<br />
2017—2022, there is a measure that concerns the city of Split and the Karepovac landfill.<br />
Namely, in order to achieve Goal 1.4 of the Plan called Landfill Less Than 25% of<br />
Municipal Waste, it is necessary to implement a measure called “Intervention Measure<br />
to Decrease Landfilling Municipal Waste Created in the City of Split”. This measure includes<br />
constructing a facility and/or procuring equipment necessary to sort separately<br />
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I. Perkov: Coping with Ecological Problems in Cities on the Croatian Coast...<br />
collected waste, constructing a facility and/or procuring equipment necessary to sort<br />
separately collected bio-waste and constructing a facility and/or procuring equipment<br />
necessary for the treatment of mixed municipal waste created in Split. The facilities<br />
need to be planned in such a way that they may later be used as parts of WMCs or so<br />
that they may be moved to a different landfill. The capacity of the facility needs to be<br />
determined in accordance with spatial conditions, quantities of waste and a feasibility<br />
study. This measure includes Phase I of the Karepovac landfill remediation in the city<br />
of Split.<br />
The other key document is called The Waste Management Plan of the City of Split<br />
for the Period <strong>2018</strong>—2022. This document thematizes the current waste management<br />
situation in Split, the Karepovac recovery process and the need for the construction of<br />
a Regional Center for Waste Management in LeÊevica, fifty kilometers from Split. Six<br />
key waste management goals are noted in this document: (1) prevention of waste generation,<br />
(2) increased utilization of useful components of municipal waste as secondary<br />
raw materials, (3) improvement of the management system for special categories of<br />
waste, (4) reduction of the total amount of waste deposited on unmediated landfills (5)<br />
reducing the amount of biodegradable municipal waste disposed, and (6) ensuring that<br />
the landfill meets the requirements established by law. The Plan also highlights a detailed<br />
list of projects that need to be completed in order to reach the planned goals.<br />
Split's Waste Management Plan also notes that Split’s waste management system<br />
will be connected with the county system and will comprise of processing, recovering<br />
and disposing of the waste. The Split-Dalmatia County Spatial Plan predicts that the<br />
county waste management center will be located in LeÊevica.<br />
THE CASE OF THE KAREPOVAC WASTE DISPOSAL SITE<br />
The Karepovac landfill was founded in 1964 and it has been the only legal landfill of<br />
the Split agglomeration for the past sixty-four years. Today Karepovac is spread over<br />
200,000 square meters, and about 300 tons of municipal waste is deposited there daily<br />
2 (500 in the summer months). It is estimated that a total of about seven million cubic<br />
meters of waste are present in Karepovec. Karepovac is an uncoordinated landfill<br />
that takes the waste of Split and other cities and municipalities in the Split-Dalmatia<br />
County.<br />
The Split City Council started to address the Karepovac situation in 2000. The City<br />
Council’s session report from 2000 stated that the Karepovac landfill was an “ecological<br />
time bomb” and that it needed urgent recovery. In 2001, the Split City Council increased<br />
the cost of waste collection for citizens for the purpose of the Karepovac recovery<br />
process. In 2002, it was announced for the first time that Karepovac would be<br />
closed in 2004. It was also announced that a new landfill and waste management center<br />
would be built in LeÊevica — a site fifty-four kilometers outside of Split. In the fol-<br />
2 132.107,11 tons in 2016 according to the Croatian Agency for Enviroment and Nature Report.<br />
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lowing years, several similar statements were made, but nothing happened until 2009<br />
when the City Council redefined the waste management plan and secured the funds for<br />
the Karepovac recovery project. Nevertheless, the funds intended for Karepovac were<br />
used for other municipal projects and the recovery was postponed once more. According<br />
to the findings of the state audit in 2014, since the year 2001, when the citizens first<br />
started paying for the Karepovac recovery, more than 93,000,000 Croatian kunas were<br />
inappropriately spent on other municipal projects. Finally, the project was announced<br />
and approved in 2017, following the adoption of Split’s new Waste Disposal Plan.<br />
Split’s current mayor, Andro KrstuloviÊ Opara, Hrvoje Merki, the director of the<br />
Eurco Company and Arsen Zoran TonπiÊ, the procurator of G.T. Trade d.o.o. Split, on<br />
behalf of the Contractor, signed a contract for the remediation of the Karepovac landfill<br />
on October 19, 2017. The contracted value of repair works was estimated at<br />
67,130,328.95 kunas, with VAT totaling 83,912,911.19 kunas. The recovery process started<br />
on November 22, 2017 by moving the municipal waste disposed over the past several<br />
years from the eastern side of the roof to a depot in order to clear the sanitary<br />
landfill.<br />
The recovery process includes (1) a basic sealing system, (2) a step water management<br />
system, (3) a landfill gas removal system, (4) a finishing cover, and (5) greening<br />
of the sanitized and closed area of the landfill.<br />
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION<br />
Local Context, Legal Acts and City Administration<br />
The social processes in Split and Croatia were rated as turbulent by all respondents.<br />
According to their responses, the most important social processes that marked a significant<br />
transition in Split's and Croatia's strategies were the destruction of the industry<br />
and a complete shift towards service activities (mostly tourism). They also noted the<br />
consequences of changes in the political system and of democracy learning. In addition<br />
to this, all actors estimated that Split lacked a comprehensive development strategy.<br />
Experts also warned about the problem of excessive centralization and inadequate<br />
decision-making processes, and civil society actors agreed that even though awareness<br />
of the importance of environmental protection was growing, the political elite were not<br />
working hard enough to protect the environment. By looking at the majority of responses<br />
given by the expert, media and civil actors on this topic, we could sense a<br />
high degree of distrust in decision-makers. Environmental conditions in Croatia were<br />
generally considered satisfactory, but the participants pointed out that this was not a<br />
consequence of strategic thinking and awareness but rather a consequence of total industry<br />
failure after the Homeland War.<br />
Participants agreed that Split's visitors appreciated its rich cultural heritage and natural<br />
beauty, especially the beaches, but warned that the city's communal and traffic infrastructure<br />
were in poor shape.<br />
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I. Perkov: Coping with Ecological Problems in Cities on the Croatian Coast...<br />
All respondents estimated that strategic and legal acts on waste-related topics were<br />
at a satisfactory level (with the opposition's criticism of the local management plan as<br />
insufficient). However, civil, expert and media actors said that the strategies and laws<br />
were satisfactory not because of the political elite but because they had to be aligned<br />
with the EU regulations. In addition, all actors, apart from the city government actor,<br />
are extremely suspicious of the implementation of strategies and plans — they believe<br />
that the set requirements are impossible to fulfill without citizen awareness and the existing<br />
infrastructure, and they think these documents will remain dead on paper. All the<br />
respondents see the European Union as Croatia's savior in terms of environmental protection<br />
and waste management.<br />
The local government actor and the local opposition actor have drastically different<br />
views on the quality of work in the city’s current administration. It is interesting to<br />
note, however, that expert, civil and media actors unanimously welcomed the fact that<br />
the current city government had come up with any kind of solution to the Karepovec<br />
problem. Civil and expert actors, however, said that the city government was not doing<br />
enough on environmental protection and pointed out many critical points and environmental<br />
threats in the wider urban area. Civil, media and expert actors agreed that<br />
the absence of a separate waste collection system was the city's biggest ecological<br />
problem.<br />
Civil actors further warned of the illegal disposal of waste and illogicality of the<br />
city's waste system:<br />
In many urban settlements there are private parcels where bulk waste is deposited.<br />
Moreover, the citizens often leave their bulky waste next to the container.<br />
One civil actor pointed out:<br />
Even green, biological waste from Marjan 3 ends up at Karepovac while, at the<br />
same time, the municipal company Parks and Plantations buys humus for the<br />
maintenance of green city areas.<br />
All actors, apart from the political ones, expressed a level of distrust in politics and<br />
public authorities. Former local authorities are accused of negligence, and civil, media<br />
and expert actors mentioned the huge funds that had been intended for the rehabilitation<br />
of Karepovec but were used for other city projects.<br />
Assessment of the Role of Various Actors<br />
We paid particular attention to the way our stakeholder groups saw the role of other<br />
actors in the process of rehabilitating Karepovec.<br />
Political actors said the following about experts:<br />
3 Marjan is a hill on the peninsula of the city of Split. It is covered in a Mediterranean pine forest<br />
and completely surrounded by the city and the sea. It is a favorite weekend excursion destination<br />
and a recreational center for the city.<br />
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Local government actor:<br />
Up until now, experts have had unpredictable and contradictory attitudes.<br />
They have compromised themselves on the Karepovac issue. Some of them<br />
created panic among citizens, while others diametrically opposed their opinions.<br />
People can no longer estimate who the experts really are and do not<br />
know who to trust.<br />
The opposition actor had a similar opinion:<br />
There were experts who cared only about their private interests. There were<br />
also experts who offered the right solutions but did not have much influence<br />
on the decision-making process.<br />
Both the government and opposition actors criticized the media's role in the Karepovac<br />
recovery process. The ruling authorities blamed the media for sensationalism<br />
and spreading panic among the citizens, while opposition actors considered that the<br />
major media to forge a solution which the authorities were advocating and also said<br />
that the opposition and experts were not welcome in the media. They agreed that the<br />
media has not educated the public about the waste problem sufficiently, and have reported<br />
only on the consequences of the problem.<br />
The government representative was very keen on the role of civil society organizations:<br />
I'm not happy with the work of non-governmental organizations. I think that<br />
they are mainly used for the self-promotion of individuals. So-called activists<br />
are often a brake on society's progress. The protection of nature is carried out<br />
selectively for daily-political purposes. I have no words of praise for them.<br />
The opposition member praised the Sunce civil society association, but pointed<br />
out that, unfortunately, they did not have enough power to affect the decision-making<br />
processes.<br />
Experts said the following about politicians:<br />
They have started to solve the problem, but I think the wrong method was<br />
chosen; that is, they were not aware of the choice. I proposed a complete recovery<br />
strategy for Karepovac. It is a more expensive solution, but it would<br />
be possible to get European funding and we would receive a building lot at<br />
the end of the process.<br />
The other expert actor argued that politicians, in the given circumstances, chose<br />
the only possible solution.<br />
The first expert saw the role of civil society as follows:<br />
They have minimal impact, although they do have a degree of success on certain<br />
topics. They give good comments, but the processes of public consultation<br />
are non-transparent<br />
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I. Perkov: Coping with Ecological Problems in Cities on the Croatian Coast...<br />
The expert actor supported the work of associations because they worked voluntarily<br />
but didn’t believe the associations had enough knowledge and skills to talk about<br />
waste disposal.<br />
Both experts agreed that the media had not fulfilled the role of impartially educating<br />
the public about the rehabilitation of Karepovc. One expert, who said immediate<br />
remedy was not a solution, regrets that he did not have enough access to the media.<br />
Civil society representatives said the following about other actors in the process:<br />
As for the role of experts, representatives of both civil society organizations said<br />
that the experts were divided, but most of them supported the current model of rehabilitation.<br />
Sunce's representative maintained that politicians were not doing enough to<br />
raise citizen awareness of the separate collection of waste, while the representative<br />
from the civil organization Karepovac — the Other Face of Split is happy that all relevant<br />
political actors have finally come to the conclusion that rehabilitation should not<br />
be postponed. They both think the media needs to educate the population more.<br />
Media players agreed on the role of other actors:<br />
One of them said:<br />
Most experts have agreed on this recovery solution, and the opposition within<br />
the expert group is burdened with their own interests.<br />
A journalist specializing in the topic of waste management pointed out:<br />
There was a lot of misuse of experts for political or economic purposes, and<br />
some offered completely wrong solutions.<br />
Media actors thought that all relevant political actors supported remediation, and<br />
the city columnist further added that he was glad that authorities came to a decision<br />
despite some opposition councilors deceiving the public.<br />
Media representatives did not idealize civil society, although they did think that<br />
associations had a significant role to play and that they should have more influence on<br />
decision-making. A waste specialist said:<br />
Ecological associations were strongly opposed to the Waste Management<br />
Center in LeÊevica, and they used a variety of misinformation about water<br />
from the system being released into the environment.<br />
A local columnist said civil societies should work more on educating the public.<br />
The Ultimate Sustainable Solution for Waste Disposal in Split<br />
An important aim of this research was to get answers to the question on what the key<br />
actors consider to be a long-term viable solution for waste management in Split and its<br />
agglomeration. Since these are the most important and most useful findings for the wider<br />
community of this research, a suggestion of solutions from all actors will be presented<br />
extensively and then summarized in common points.<br />
Political Actors:<br />
Political authority: Construction of a regional waste management center in<br />
LeÊevica is the only solution. Everything else is cosmetics.<br />
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Opposition: Separating waste, creating green jobs, a radical turnaround in<br />
waste management — that's what Split needs. Education must start from early<br />
childhood, the door-to-door waste collection system should be introduced,<br />
with individual responsibility by dividing waste into multi-colored bags. City<br />
authorities need to build a waste disposal system; citizens want to recycle.<br />
LeÊevica is not a solution, it would produce the only fuel in the world that<br />
has a negative value. You have to pay for someone to burn it (Cemex), and<br />
it has very bad ecological and health effects. LeÊevica is a project of negative<br />
value for everybody. MariπËina 4 is proof of that. In the future, Karepovac<br />
should be a new zone of recreation and greenery.<br />
Media Actors:<br />
Waste Specialist: So the long-term solution is LeÊevica, plus a separate waste<br />
collection system. I think this system is crucial, not just for Split, but for all<br />
the towns and municipalities in the county. It will take a lot of work and media<br />
campaigns, and it will be a great logistical effort to organize everything,<br />
but I emphasize the example of Omiπ where the issue has been resolved.<br />
They built a compost, waited for a sorting line and introduced a system of<br />
separate collection of waste, charging for the amount of waste carried. And<br />
they have made good use of their resources. It can be done!<br />
Local journalist: The real solution is opening the Waste Management Center<br />
in LeÊevica, recovering the Karepovac landfill according to the accepted model,<br />
but most importantly, enabling citizens to work on the separation of waste<br />
by a system of awards and penalties.<br />
Civil Society Actors<br />
Sunce: Split requires a radical change in its entire waste collection and management<br />
system. We think we need to engage in serious discussions. We<br />
need a primary selection of waste in households, we should strive for as<br />
much as 80% of separate collection. We do not support the construction of a<br />
regional center in LeÊevica because no waste management measures have<br />
been implemented, the Center is only an excuse to do nothing.<br />
Karepovac — the Other Face of Split: Early education is vital as well as a call<br />
center where citizens can get answers to their waste sorting questions. We also<br />
need to introduce a system of incentives and penalties to motivate citizens<br />
to sort waste and a door-to-door waste collection system. Citizen responsibility<br />
can be increased by education but also by employing more people. In the<br />
long run, Split needs the construction of LeÊevica and the closing of Karepovac.<br />
Professional Actors:<br />
4 County Waste Management Center MariπÊina is the central part of the integral waste management<br />
system in the Primorje-Gorski kotar County.<br />
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I. Perkov: Coping with Ecological Problems in Cities on the Croatian Coast...<br />
Expert 1: It is not necessary to sort waste, it needs to be done at the landfill.<br />
I am totally against it — this is the Mediterranean. It is necessary to build all<br />
the plants on LeÊevica and to have one central drive, heat-treated fuel and to<br />
produce electricity. A waste-to-waste facility should be used. Karepovac<br />
needs to be repaired according the second model of electricity generation<br />
and production and then used as land. Karepovac is Split's problem and<br />
Split's opportunity as well.<br />
Expert 2: The problem can only be solved by prevention. Prevention, reuse,<br />
recycling and door-to-door systems — that's it! Responsibility needs to be<br />
both individual and social; RFID CUPS should be used for checking. Education<br />
should only be carried out after the installation of this system. We should<br />
strive for a circular economy that will use the produced waste. If some waste<br />
cannot be recycled, it should simply be banned. I do not support the LeÊevice<br />
project — landfills are proof of our irresponsible behavior I would end<br />
with Einstein's statement: Smart people can solve the problem and geniuses<br />
work to prevent the problem.<br />
When analyzing the actors' views on the long-term solution of waste disposal in<br />
Split, it can be seen that there is no common consensus apart from believing that the<br />
system needs change and that it cannot continue with the existing model. Attitudes towards<br />
the regional waste management center in LeÊevica are divided — the project is<br />
either strongly supported or strongly opposed by the actors.<br />
All but one respondent pointed out that a long-term solution to the problem of<br />
waste was the education of the population, the creation and implementation of separate<br />
waste collection systems and a drastic reduction in the total amount of waste<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
The Karepovac waste disposal site, located just outside of Split, has represented an ecological<br />
time bomb for years. The current local government started a recovery process<br />
that is now well under way. This paper has analyzed the recovery as well as the roles<br />
of the key actors in the process. Furthermore, the research that was conducted thematized<br />
our key actors' perceptions about broader topics of sustainable development and<br />
ecological awareness and the citizens' role in the decision-making processes on municipal<br />
issues.<br />
The research results warn of some important issues. Firstly, all actors agreed that<br />
Split did not have a development strategy, and that this constituted an obstacle to the<br />
strategic thinking of the waste management system. Another problem expressed was a<br />
lack of confidence among decision-makers and the role of institutions. Experts, civil society<br />
actors and media actors estimate that they are not sufficiently involved in decision-making<br />
and that these processes are non- transparent.<br />
Strategic documents related to sustainable development in Split and Croatia are at<br />
a satisfactory level, but the results of the survey show that this is not enough because<br />
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strategic and legal acts are not implemented in the field. All actors agreed that the European<br />
Union was an important corrective in terms of waste management in Croatia.<br />
The general environmental situation in Croatia is, according to researchers, satisfactory,<br />
but this is attributed to the collapse of the industry rather than strategic thinking.<br />
The actors were prone to shifting responsibility. The greatest point of agreement<br />
seemed to be recognizing the need for a separate collection of waste. A presentation<br />
of the chronology of events, an analysis of documents and research results have also<br />
told us that this topic is important for Split’s citizens and development. Stakeholder participation<br />
in all local issues and the management of waste would probably result in better<br />
results. Split and all of Croatia needs a participatory kind of decision-making on topics<br />
important to citizens. But in order to achieve this, expert, civil and media actors<br />
must act synergistically to educate the population and to raise awareness.<br />
References<br />
BarËiÊ, D. and IvanËiÊ, V. (2010). Utjecaj odlagaliπta otpada Prudinec/Jakuπevec na oneËiπÊenje<br />
okoliπa. ©umarski list, 134 (7-8), 347-358. https://hrcak.srce.hr/57986<br />
Buzjak, N., Vuk, D. and JakovËiÊ, M. (2015). The Issue of Landfill Location: Example of the Tarno<br />
Site (Zagreb County, Croatia). Sociologija i prostor, 53 (2 (202)), 117-137.<br />
https://doi.org/10.5673/sip.53.2.2<br />
»aldaroviÊ, O. (1996). Civilno druπtvo i sindrom nimby: osnovne socioloπke dileme u hrvatskom<br />
druπtvu. Socijalna ekologija, 5 (4), 501-512. https://hrcak.srce.hr/141470<br />
KuËar DragiËeviÊ, S., ButuËi, J. and Kufrin, J. (2006). Zbrinjavanje otpada u Republici Hrvatskoj —<br />
postojeÊe stanje. Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju, 57 (3), 263-266.<br />
https://hrcak.srce.hr/4567.<br />
MiπetiÊ, A. (2017). Socio-Spatial Aspects of the Development in North-West Croatia: Between<br />
Normative Acts and Prctices. Radovi Zavoda za znanstveni rad Varaædin, (28), 210-211.<br />
https://doi.org/10.21857/yl4okf7829.<br />
MustapiÊ, M. (2010). The Role of the Local Community in Solving Communal Waste Disposing<br />
Problem during the Transition in Croatia. Kroatologija, 1 (1), 212-212.<br />
https://hrcak.srce.hr/60212<br />
PeraËkoviÊ, K. (2004). Sociologija tranzicije: strukturalni, sociokulturni i neomodernizacijski pristup.<br />
Druπtvena istraæivanja, 13 (3 (71)), 487-504. https://hrcak.srce.hr/16171<br />
©uÊur, Z. (1992). Komunalni otpad i socijalni konflikti. Analiza jednog sluËaja. Socijalna ekologija, 1<br />
(4), 555-570. https://hrcak.srce.hr/138899<br />
Croatian Act on Sustainable Waste Management. Official Gazette No. 94/13, 73/17.<br />
Waste Management Plan of the Republic of Croatia for the Period 2017—2022. Official Gazette No.<br />
3/17<br />
Waste Management Plan of the City of Split for the Period <strong>2018</strong>—2022.<br />
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Lidija RUNKO LUTTENBERGER, Jadranka MATI∆, Draga MIHELI∆<br />
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL<br />
IMPACT ASSESSMENTS REGARDING<br />
TOURISM PROJECTS IN CROATIA<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
The Croatian Adriatic coastal area is the object of an increasing interest of property developers<br />
in the tourism and leisure sector. As investments in coastal areas imply considerable<br />
pressures on the environment, particular interests of the investors should be<br />
controlled by local and national regulatory authorities. Thus, simultaneously with facilitating<br />
sustainable economic activities in the area of maritime demesne, all citizens<br />
should be granted in an equal and equitable way the use of coastal area, provided its<br />
designated purpose is respected. Therefore, the investment in coastal areas requires a<br />
prior comprehensive analysis of all pressures on the environment and impacts on the<br />
locals.<br />
This paper analyses the impacts of tourism on marine environment, presents the<br />
concept of environmental impact assessment and environmental and social impact assessment,<br />
and discusses the environmental impact assessment procedures implementation<br />
in Croatia by providing two cases analyses for projects in the coastal/insular area.<br />
Particular emphasis is placed on the issue of communication with the public and upgrading<br />
its efficiency.<br />
2. THE IMPACTS OF TOURISM ON MARINE ENVIRONMENT<br />
Tourists spending their holiday on the Adriatic coast use resources such as transportation,<br />
accommodation, nutrition and recreation. The impact of tourism may broadly be<br />
categorized as the following: pollution, physical structures, beach and shore usage, interaction<br />
with wildlife, cumulative effects and costs of environmental degradation (Simcock,<br />
<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Particularly pronounced are the problems of collection, treatment and disposal of<br />
solid and liquid waste. Urban wastewater undergoes or not primary or secondary treatment<br />
and greatly contributes to elevated levels of nutrients in the sea and thus the eutrophication.<br />
Further problems are caused by cruise ships calling at ports that have limited<br />
or inadequate waste and sewage handling facilities as well as poor supply services,<br />
leading to harmful emissions from auxiliary engines during their stay in the port.<br />
Yachts and small boats present an impact from oil escapes from engines and also<br />
problems from anti-fouling paints, action of propellers in shallow waters, and noise.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Coastal infrastructures necessary for coastal tourism, such as roads, parking places,<br />
airports, marinas and others, change the coastal landscape. For accommodation,<br />
hotels and restaurants are built, as well as buildings for accompanying services. The<br />
change from natural land cover and agricultural use accompanies coastal tourism. Such<br />
alterations have significant implications for coastal ecosystems as they usually introduce<br />
a barrier of artificial land cover between the sea and the natural or agricultural land<br />
cover. Beaches are threatened by artificial structures, beach nourishment and ship anchoring.<br />
Interaction with wildlife ranges from diving, coral viewing, bird watching and<br />
marine mammals watching to recreational fishing and hunting.<br />
As tourist resorts become more crowded, the market becomes more of a mass<br />
market, with lower margins. In some areas, crowding has been allowed to such an extent<br />
that the market has been depressed, and returns have become very low (Simcock,<br />
<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Besides the ecological ones, there are also community impacts, such as transformation<br />
of the face of the community and lifestyles conflict arising from the competition<br />
for common resources and the overlooked effect on future users. There are also<br />
economic impacts, such as economic dependence, social layoff and unemployment,<br />
low-level jobs, import and export leakages, enclave tourism infrastructure costs, and<br />
vast use of resources (Runko Luttenberger & Luttenberger, 2016).<br />
3. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND<br />
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT<br />
Environmental impact assessment (hereinafter: EIA) means a process consisting of the<br />
preparation of an EIA report by the developer, the carrying out of consultations, the<br />
examination by the competent authority of the information presented in the EIA report,<br />
the reasoned conclusion by the competent authority on the significant effects of the<br />
project on the environment, and the integration of the competent authority's reasoned<br />
conclusion into any of the decisions (OJ, 2014).<br />
Environmental and social impact assessment (hereinafter: EISA) is an extension of<br />
what has traditionally been the process of EIA. International Association for Impact Assessment<br />
defines it as the process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating<br />
the biophysical, social and other relevant effects of proposed development proposal<br />
prior to major decisions being taken and commitments made.<br />
Directive 2014/52/EU mentions the word social in its preamble, item 9, referring<br />
to the final document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development<br />
held in Rio de Janeiro on 20-22 June 2012, which recognises the economic and social<br />
significance of good land management, including soil, and the need for urgent action<br />
to reverse land degradation. Public and private projects should therefore consider and<br />
limit their impact on land, particularly as regards land take; and on soil, including as<br />
regards organic matter, erosion, compaction and sealing. Appropriate land use plans<br />
and policies at a national, regional and local level are also relevant in this regard.<br />
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Need or demand: is the project necessary? Can the need or demand be met<br />
without the project? (E.g. can the demand for electricity be reduced through<br />
improved appliances rather than a new coal/fired power station?)<br />
e<br />
Mode or process: How should it be done? Are there technologies or methods that<br />
can meet the need with less environmental damage than the ‘obvious’ or traditional<br />
methods? (E.g. wind farms rather than a new coal/fired power station)<br />
e<br />
Location: Where should it go? (E.g. more environmentally robust location,<br />
minimizing transport requirements<br />
e<br />
Timing and detailed implementation: When, in what form and in what sequence<br />
should the project be developed? What details matter and what requirements<br />
should be made about them?<br />
Figure 1 The hierarchy of alternatives (or options) within ESIA (ODPM et al., 2005).<br />
Furthermore, the Directive 2014/52/EU in its Article 3, paragraph 1, states that EIA<br />
shall identify, describe and assess in an appropriate manner, in the light of each individual<br />
case, the direct and indirect significant effects of a project on population and human<br />
health.<br />
Pursuant to the requirements laid down in the Directive 2014/52/EU, the Regulation<br />
on Environmental impact assessment (OG, 2017) lays dawn an obligation of considering<br />
in EIA and screening reports the potential significant impacts on population<br />
and health of the population. Since, in sociological sense, the population may imply<br />
local community living in the environs of planned undertaking, it is obvious that sociological<br />
aspect should be considered. As there are various sociological approaches to<br />
community, in case of EIA it is necessary to consider the ecological approach.<br />
One of the most prominent elements of ESIA process is to examine the alternatives<br />
of the proposed project. The Directive 2014/52/EU requires a description of the<br />
reasonable alternatives (for example in terms of project design, technology, location,<br />
size and scale) and an indication of the main reasons for selecting the chosen option,<br />
including a comparison of the environmental effects (Annex IV.2 to Directive<br />
2014/52/EU).<br />
The “no action” of not proceeding with the project is another alternative. The hierarchy<br />
of alternatives, fig. 1 (Therivel & Wood, <strong>2018</strong>) can help to structure the consideration<br />
of alternatives. The higher up the hierarchy the decisions are, the more sustainable<br />
they tend to be.<br />
4. EIA IMPLEMENTATION IN CROATIA<br />
The Environmental Protection Act lays down the obligation of considering both direct<br />
and indirect impact of planned undertaking on individual environmental components<br />
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such as the soil, waters, the sea, air and climate, forests, flora and fauna, and biological<br />
diversity. Furthermore, there is the obligation of establishing the impact on land,<br />
population, public health, landscape, material property, and cultural heritage. The Act<br />
itself does not stipulate a possible approach to examining the sociological aspect of the<br />
impact on population, but it is obvious that the ecological approach needs to be considered.<br />
An analysis was undertaken of EIA and screening reports posted on web pages of<br />
the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MZOE, <strong>2018</strong>a) in the period from 1 January<br />
2017 until 31 October <strong>2018</strong>. The EIA and screening reports dealt with planned undertakings<br />
on the Adriatic coastal and insular zone.<br />
The EIA procedures based on EIA reports encompass the undertakings involving<br />
wastewater treatment plants with accompanying system, marine ports, marine aquaculture<br />
farms, construction of state roads, exploitation of construction and architectural<br />
stone, oil terminals and golf courses.<br />
The screening procedures encompass undertakings such as wastewater treatment<br />
plants with accompanying systems, adding the fish farming capacity, beach development,<br />
port reconstruction, shipyard upgrading, airport reconstruction, ferry terminals,<br />
fish processing, almond plantations, recovery of municipal landfills, waste management<br />
facilities, cement industry, campsite reconstruction, cycling routes, oil mills, gas stations,<br />
tourist resort development, and natural gas exploitation in continental shelf.<br />
In most screening reports, the sociological impact has not been elaborated, while<br />
in the rest of the screening reports the impacts are for the most part boiled down to<br />
establishing the distance of intervention site from the settlement. Given sufficient distance,<br />
it is deduced that there will be no impact on population or development of tourism<br />
in the area. The positive impacts pointed out include new workposts and employment<br />
opportunities for the local population. Also, identified negative impacts on the<br />
population include a possible missing of a part of the tourist season owing to construction<br />
works, intensified traffic resulting from construction machinery, extra noise and<br />
polluted air.<br />
Neither EIA reports nor screening reports present the opinion of the local community<br />
concerning the intervention. In fact, the devastation of autochthonous natural cover<br />
or the diminishing of common space is undertaken in favour of the increasing number<br />
of tourists who intensify traffic jams, the quantities of wastewater and municipal<br />
waste, and thus affect the population that in certain cases opposes planned project. In<br />
the majority of cases, the population is not even informed about the planned facility.<br />
4.1. Case analyses<br />
In analysing the potential environmental impacts of the interventions, in numerous EIA<br />
reports the potential alternatives of an intervention are considered, especially in view<br />
of the sociological aspect and the ecological approach. Thus in EIAR regarding the system<br />
of public water supply, sewerage and wastewater treatment plant of Dubrovnik ag-<br />
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glomeration, in the non-technical summary (MZOE, <strong>2018</strong>b, p. 47), which should particularly<br />
be designated for the public, the following argument is used (Chapter 3.2.8<br />
Impact on local population and public health): “Generally we may conclude that<br />
throughout the use of the built system of public water supply and sewerage, the quality<br />
of life of local population will improve. Possible impacts on local population may<br />
be unpleasant odours.” Apart from the stated affirmations being contradictory in that<br />
the quality of life shall improve but on the other hand there is a possibility of impact<br />
by unpleasant odours, no alternatives have been considered, be it in respect of technology<br />
or of siting, in order to prevent such a possibility of detrimental impact on the<br />
local population.<br />
It is further stated that “the solar plant for drying the sludge is located at a distance<br />
of about 1 km from the nearest houses and negative impacts on the population are not<br />
expected. The site of the new wastewater treatment plant (WTP) is in the vicinity of<br />
residential houses (abt. 100 m), but given prescribed treatment of waste air, no negative<br />
impacts on population are expected.” With regard to the aforementioned impacts,<br />
the protection measures are prescribed, those being as follows: “Enclosed parts of the<br />
technological processes should run under negative pressure. At pump room vents it is<br />
necessary to incorporate the filters for bad odour removal.” Said measures however do<br />
not warrant that negative impacts will not be incurred on the local population, whereby<br />
EIAR contains no word about the opinion of said population, meaning that they had<br />
not been contacted in the course of drafting the report or preparation of the project.<br />
Such an attitude towards local population is not conducive to common wellbeing of all<br />
members of the community, but implies sacrificing of a part of population in favour of<br />
prosperity of the rest of the community which has no direct contact with particular site<br />
of wastewater treatment plant.<br />
The analysis of the sociological approach was carried out with regard to the<br />
Screening report for the reconstruction of the Vis — Plisko polje airport, it being identical<br />
to any other EIA or screening report and intervention. In general, the site ambience<br />
and the impacts of the planned intervention are in the majority of cases described<br />
in a similar manner. In the mentioned report, just as in other reports as well, in the<br />
chapter referring to the description of the site of intervention, or description of the site<br />
ambience, the baseline data are provided for the following: ecological networks, habitats<br />
and protected areas, flora and fauna, spatial characteristics as well as land use, geological<br />
and hydrogeological characteristics, seismic characteristics of the area, soil, climate<br />
and air quality, landscape, population, cultural and historical heritage, state of<br />
noise and state of water bodies. In the chapter dealing with the environmental impact,<br />
the following is considered: possible significant impacts on environmental components<br />
(soil, water, air, ecological network, habitats, cultural and historical heritage, landscape),<br />
noise, waste and light pollution load on the environment, as well as the impact<br />
on population.<br />
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In the screening report dealing with the reconstruction of the Vis airport (MZOE,<br />
<strong>2018</strong>c, p.38) the liaison is made between provisions laid down in the Transport development<br />
strategy of the Republic of Croatia 2017—2030 (OG, 2017) and the planned undertaking.<br />
It is stated that the reconstruction of the Vis — Plisko polje airport is necessary<br />
because in order to arrive at a particular location on the island of Vis from the Split<br />
airport, the “present-day guest”, whose final destination is the Island of Vis, , spends<br />
approximately four hours in ideal conditions, “while by air route, such transport would<br />
be completed within an hour, whereby flow of people would be accelerated, above all<br />
of tourists, but also of the local population. Insular airports are not only essential for<br />
tourism, but also for the viability and further development of the islands, that being<br />
clearly evident in the example of Krk, Loπinj and Hvar islands, whose airports became<br />
an element of supply and the opportunity, which is also recognizable in their economic<br />
development.” Mentioned statements concerning positive impact of the reconstruction<br />
are not supported by proof or arguments, but are founded on assumptions that the<br />
island of Vis will no longer be as isolated as it was and that the planned undertaking<br />
will contribute to tourist, demographic and economic development of the island, all because<br />
of the rise in tourist arrivals on the island during summer period.<br />
Furthermore, the ascertainment in screening report that, according to physical plan<br />
of the City of Vis, the planned undertaking is situated within the limits of areas defined<br />
as particularly valuable arable agricultural land is not elaborated later in the text within<br />
the meaning of possible positive or negative impact on local population or the owners<br />
of the agricultural land. In the part related to potential impacts on habitats, it is stated<br />
that the impact on garrigue (negative impact over the area of 0,9 ha), olive groves (negative<br />
impact over the area of 1,82 ha) and vineyards (negative impact over the area of<br />
7,47 ha) will be negligible or will involve the conversion of approximately 10,2 ha of<br />
land. At the same time, it is again not considered how that will affect the local population<br />
owning mentioned land and what would be an alternative for those inhabitants.<br />
In the screening report, there is an affirmation that the reconstruction of the airport<br />
constitutes an exceptionally positive impact for the island, island population and<br />
potential island visitors. Introducing plane connections between the mainland — Vis<br />
Island or island — Vis Island will facilitate faster and easier connection compared to<br />
the existing maritime connection. The operation of an airport commands for new workposts,<br />
which makes it a positive effect. Apart from employees on the very airport, there<br />
is also a need for organizing transport from the airport to other insular destinations. Potential<br />
arrival of a greater number of tourists is more feasible compared to the present,<br />
etc., which, according to the mentioned document, ultimately constitutes a positive impact<br />
in the form of employment for a greater number of people outside the airport surroundings<br />
too. The airport brings income, that constituting a positive effect.<br />
One of the identified negative impacts on population is intersecting the existing<br />
footpaths and accesses to plots, so in course of designing an advanced level of project<br />
documentation, it is necessary to define new connecting paths and accesses to the plots<br />
across the runway and the entire area of the airport.<br />
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A conclusion was presented “that on 18 July <strong>2018</strong> higher ozone concentration was<br />
recorded, falling in target exceedance values”, that the island has no source of major<br />
pollution, that “present minimum pollution originates from cars, various crafts, the operation<br />
of catering and tourist facilities, households and other minor entities”, and that<br />
apart from all of the aforesaid „high air quality is warranted”. This demonstrates that<br />
drawing the decisions about the absence of significant negative impact on air quality<br />
is not substantiated. Furthermore, unsubstantiated claims are brought up that due to the<br />
possibility of using air transport to the island of Vis, the load on maritime (ferry) and<br />
road traffic will diminish, thus rendering possible the reduction in pollution, faster flow<br />
of people and goods, and ultimately positive effect on climate change.<br />
The present state of noise is elaborated superficially, with findings that the sole<br />
source of noise is road traffic which mainly proceeds along the main road Vis — Komiæa,<br />
and which passes just next to the airport. The marginal source is the noise resulting<br />
from operation of agricultural machinery in the zone of polje, and possibly the<br />
noise that in negligible quantities may arise from family households of neighbouring<br />
villages. Since airport operation is identified as a significant negative source of noise,<br />
but only for 82 inhabitants in total, the measures specified in the impacts are not proposed<br />
as obligatory in the chapter containing measures. Thus, resolving the problem<br />
of airplane noise is left for the future or the advanced stage of elaborating the documentation,<br />
while the following measures are specified as mitigation measures: restricting<br />
the use of an airport solely during daily time slots, the possibility of redefining the<br />
direction of landing and take-off (should conditions allow so), and replacing windows<br />
on critical facilities using absorbing materials (e.g. triple ISO glass).<br />
Besides the fact that after the mentioned analysis the question arises why the EIA<br />
and screening reports do not consider ecological approach of the sociological aspect<br />
of the impact on community, especially local population, there is also the issue concerning<br />
the purpose of implementing the screening procedure, a procedure that precedes<br />
the issuance of location permit. In the procedure of issuing a location permit, the<br />
requirements are established for the construction of a planned undertaking. The location<br />
permit is often followed by producing construction designs that must take into<br />
consideration all the requirements established in the location permit. When, upon completed<br />
screening procedure, the administrative decision is issued establishing that it is<br />
not necessary to implement the environmental impact assessment and that no environment<br />
protection measures are prescribed in addition to those established by virtue of<br />
law and implementing acts, in the screening reports it is often stated: “This screening<br />
report does not propose other environment protection measures apart from those arising<br />
from the law, other regulations and standards as well as special requirements issued<br />
by public authorities in the procedure of securing the acts concerning construction.”<br />
Besides the stated sentence, the designers of project designs on the basis of<br />
which construction permits are granted state that environment protection measures in<br />
the project design are aligned with the provisions of the Environment Protection Act.<br />
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In doing so no mention is made of what such particular measures are and how those<br />
are implemented in project designs. In the procedure of issuing the construction permit,<br />
the verification notes by bodies who issued the requirements are sought stating<br />
whether the projects are in line with issued requirements/measures. In the verification<br />
notes issued after the screening procedure is completed, and in cases where environment<br />
protection measures have not been prescribed in the administrative decision, it is<br />
noted that no environment protection measures are prescribed. The mentioned observation<br />
is incorrect as environment protection measures do exist, precisely those established<br />
by subordinate law provisions, but they fail to be specified or stated. Such an<br />
outcome in no way contributes to environmental awareness and actual protection.<br />
4.2. Communicating with the public<br />
In point 36 of its preamble, Directive 2014/52/EU mentions effective public participation<br />
and access to justice. In 1998 the European Community signed the UNECE Convention<br />
on the Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access<br />
to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) and ratified it in 2005.<br />
One of the objectives of the Aarhus Convention is to guarantee the right of public participation<br />
in decision-making in environmental matters in order to contribute to protecting<br />
the right of living in the environment adequate to personal health and well-being.<br />
The Republic of Croatia is also the signatory of the Aarhus Convention, and therefore<br />
the obligations of communicating with the public are implemented through national<br />
legislation.<br />
In practice, communication with the public throughout assessment procedure is<br />
implemented in such a manner that the notification of planned intervention is posted<br />
on a web page, followed by the notification on carrying out the public consultation accompanied<br />
by the report and non-technical summary. As for the screening procedure,<br />
communication with the public is carried out by posting the notification concerning the<br />
request and screening report on web pages. The public may present the views on the<br />
report in the course of 30 days from the date of posting the information note.<br />
The notification concerning the request to undertake environmental impact assessment<br />
of the system of public water supply, sewerage and wastewater treatment plant<br />
of Dubrovnik agglomeration was posted on 27 April <strong>2018</strong>, and the notification on carrying<br />
out the public consultation, the report and non-technical summary for the public<br />
were posted on 31 October <strong>2018</strong>, 6 months following the first notification. The notification<br />
on carrying out the public consultation procedure, and within the framework<br />
thereof public presentation, was published in “Slobodna Dalmacija” newspaper, as well<br />
as on web pages and notice boards of organizational units on whose territory the<br />
planned intervention is sited. Within the framework of public consultation, the access<br />
to the report and non-technical summary is rendered possible throughout 30 days.<br />
Within those 30 days, a public presentation which the public and interested public may<br />
attend and at which they can put forward their comments is scheduled. The public and<br />
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interested public may submit their comments by mail within the time frame of the public<br />
consultation.<br />
In the screening report concerning reconstruction of the Vis-Plisko polje airport,<br />
the notification of the request was posted on 5 November <strong>2018</strong> stating that the public<br />
and interested public may submit their opinion within 30 days from the date of posting<br />
the notification to the address of the Ministry of Environment and Energy.<br />
According to EUROSTAT data, only about 60% of households in Croatia have Internet<br />
access. It is reasonable to presume that those who have the access mostly have<br />
no habit of following the announcements on web pages of competent authorities. The<br />
said approach that a notification is posted on a web page is acceptable for wider public,<br />
but insufficient for interested public which is for the most part local population. In<br />
order to safeguard efficient participation of the public in decision making concerning<br />
a planned undertaking, local population should be informed on the planned undertaking<br />
in the course of drafting the EIA or screening report and their positions should be<br />
constituent parts of the report. It is only then that it would be possible to speak about<br />
efficient participation of the public in decision making on planned undertaking.<br />
5. CONCLUSION<br />
Since tourism in the coastal area has a significant environmental impact, especially on<br />
local population, it is necessary to incorporate in EIA the ESIA principles such as preserving<br />
nature, communities’ style of life, population health grants resilience, long-term<br />
benefit and tourism longevity.<br />
The Republic of Croatia has to catch up with the current EIA/ESIA standards, make<br />
the procedures less unclear and more efficient, introduce population and health impact<br />
analyses, and improve communication with the public.<br />
There is a need to organize workshops, draft instructions and guidelines on web<br />
pages of the Ministry aimed at upgrading the quality of EIA and screening reports, facilitating<br />
implementation of strategic impact assessment at regional and local level, and<br />
devising the methods of establishing the potential negative impact on public health,<br />
both qualitative and quantitative.<br />
It is necessary to implement the provision on monitoring and analysing the enforcement<br />
of measures provided for in EIA decisions, and institute harmonized and<br />
joint administrative procedures (e.g. for EIA and location permit requirements) to reduce<br />
complexity and increase economic efficiency.<br />
References<br />
Directive 2014/52/EU on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the<br />
environment. OJ L 124, 25.4.2014, p. 1-18.<br />
Ministarstvo zaπtite okoliπa i energetike — MZOE (<strong>2018</strong>). PUO postupci.<br />
https://puo.mzoip.hr/hr/puo/puo-postupci-<strong>2018</strong>.html<br />
Ministarstvo zaπtite okoliπa i energetike — MZOE (<strong>2018</strong>). Sustav javne vodoopskrbe, odvodnje i<br />
ureappleaja za proËiπÊavanje otpadnih voda aglomeracije Dubrovnik, Studija o procjeni utjecaja<br />
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zahvata na okoliπ, Ne-tehniËki saæetak. https://puo.mzoip.hr/hr/puo/puo-postupci-<strong>2018</strong>/<br />
sustav-javne-vodoopskrbe-te-odvodnje-i-prociscavanja-otpadnih-voda-aglomeracijedubrovnik.html<br />
Ministarstvo zaπtite okoliπa i energetike — MZOE (<strong>2018</strong>). Rekonstrukcija Aerodroma Vis — Plisko<br />
polje, Elaborat za ocjenu o potrebi procjene utjecaja zahvata na okoliπ.<br />
https://mzoe.hr/doc/0511<strong>2018</strong>_-_elaborat_zastite_okolisa_vis.pdf<br />
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister — ODPM, Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly Government<br />
and Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland (2005). A practical guide to the<br />
Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive, London.<br />
Regulation amending the Regulation environmental impact assessment of interventions. Official<br />
Gazette, 3/2017.<br />
Runko Luttenberger L. & Luttenberger A. (2016). Environmental assessment of externalities<br />
associated with tourist property development projects in coastal areas. In Maπkarin RibariÊ H.<br />
& SmolËiÊ Jurdana D. (Eds.), Tourism & Hospitality Industry 2016 — Trends and Challenges,<br />
Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Opatija, pp. 404-417.<br />
Simcock A. (<strong>2018</strong>). Handbook on Marine Environment Protection. In Salomon M. & Markus T.<br />
(Eds.), Springer International Publishing, pp. 327-349.<br />
Therivel, R. & Wood, G. (<strong>2018</strong>). Methods of environmental and social impact assessment. In<br />
Glasson J. (Ed.), Routledge, pp. 1-19.<br />
Transport development strategy of the Republic of Croatia 2017—2030, Official Gazette, 84/2017.<br />
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Sara URSI∆, Geran-Marko MILETI∆<br />
SECOND HOMES ON ISLANDS:<br />
THE EFFECTS OF SEASONALITY ON<br />
THE AVAILABILITY OF AMENITIES<br />
In social sciences, there has always been substantial interest in the exploration of life<br />
on islands based on the fact that, for many years, many islands were closed systems<br />
that provided what nearly amounted to laboratory conditions for social scientists. Those<br />
secluded and isolated rocks surrounded by water were symbols of different lifestyles<br />
and lured researchers with their particularities. Although in the contemporary world the<br />
concept of isolation is fading away, islands still represent escape, hiding, and a slower<br />
pace of living. However, one cannot ignore the fact that accessibility and overall mobility<br />
are changing the concept of life on islands. Island living implies many specificities<br />
due to the isolation and diverse functions associated with islands throughout history.<br />
In the last few decades, island living has been connected frequently with the development<br />
of different kinds of tourism that often have seasonal characteristics. Many<br />
islands have become synonymous with vacation and relaxation. In addition, with the<br />
development of the culture of vacationing and high rates of migration to large urban<br />
settlements, island life has become seasonal for the remaining residents as well as for<br />
visitors. The concept of seasonality is, understandably, rooted in the natural flow of the<br />
seasons, which has impacted everyday life since forever. However, in the context of<br />
globalization, the summer/winter dichotomy has become pivotal for the concept of island<br />
living due to oscillations in population size, amenities, and the rhythm of everyday<br />
life among the local population. At the same time, seasonality has become a paradox:<br />
as destinations seek to reduce its impacts and prolong the high season, the visitor<br />
has gained the ability to chase the seasons around the globe and live in permanent<br />
summer.<br />
Somewhere in the realm between tourism and everyday life, there is a population<br />
of second home users who visit chosen destinations more often and create relations<br />
with specific localities. To a certain extent, settlements with higher rates of temporary<br />
residents, the so-called weekend- or summer-people, call into question the concept of<br />
seasonality associated commonly with island lifestyle. Second home users choose specific<br />
locations based on natural, cultural, and service amenities that can deliver the best<br />
possible balance between leisure and sense of community.<br />
This paper intends to determine the extent to which contemporary second home<br />
users, defined as temporary residents, represent a possible solution for reducing the impact<br />
of seasonality on island destinations.<br />
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In this paper, the authors are reflecting on the fact that the dynamic of the everyday<br />
is changing and, with possibilities such as remote workplaces or shorter work<br />
hours, multiple dwellings are as available to many people as they can be. Nevertheless,<br />
there is a catch: as the Western society, in general, is predominantly urbanized<br />
and globalized, so are our habits and needs. In the narrative of escape, often connected<br />
to the notion of islands and second homes, it seems everybody is looking for escape<br />
in a nature packed with urban amenities. The concept of amenities in the studies<br />
of second homes is focused mostly on natural amenities as the main motive for acquiring<br />
a second home. Thus, in this study, the main focus is on the cultural and service<br />
amenities which complement the environmental and natural amenities, all of which are<br />
part of the usual framework for the development of a vacation settlement.<br />
In a case study of small settlements on the island of »iovo, Croatia, the authors investigate<br />
how seasonality affects the satisfaction of permanent and temporary residents<br />
in terms of the availability of cultural, lifestyle, and service amenities. This study complements<br />
the recent work from Poljanec-BoriÊ, Wertag, and ©ikiÊ (<strong>2018</strong>) on the aspects<br />
of a “sense of place” in an island community, in which the authors use similar data to<br />
explain constitutive elements of the sense of place in Okrug Gornji.<br />
ISLANDS IN THE SPIN — FROM DIVERSITY TO TOURISM<br />
As rapid urbanization, in its broadest sense, positioned all things urban as a pivotal prefix<br />
for global development and the city became the ultimate living space, the other spaces<br />
that people inhabited transformed (or at least tried to do so) to adapt to the change.<br />
Despite the uprising of technologies and mobility that ultimately shrink space and<br />
make it more available, most of the world is being compressed within city limits, making<br />
the other spaces either neglected or utopian and usually both. The necessity of being<br />
in a city created the necessity of escape. And the ultimate escape is the island.<br />
Baldcchino (2012:55) refers to islands as the “objects of what may be the most lavish,<br />
global and consistent branding exercise in human history.”<br />
Islands can be seen as a part of a landscape just like any other physical and environmental<br />
object, fascinating due to their biodiversity and natural richness, and seen<br />
as a space where people live their everyday lives. The latter implies inevitably that island<br />
space is produced by social interactions, as is any other space which is inhabited<br />
by people. As Hay (2006:31) states: “Islands are places, special places, paradigmatic<br />
places, topographies of meaning in which the qualities that construct place are dramatically<br />
distilled.” One might argue that those very “distilled qualities” are the reason that<br />
the notion of island contains such strong metaphorical and symbolic meaning. (Baldacchino,<br />
2013; Kizos, 2007; Peron, 2003; Tuan, 1990; Hay, 2006)<br />
It is quite impossible to generalize islands, as there are so many all over the world,<br />
and every one of them is unique in its own way. As this paper analyses Croatian islands,<br />
our focus in on the small Mediterranean islands. Throughout history, according<br />
to Kizos (2007), islands have had so many diverse functions, from military posts and<br />
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prisons, to commercial and industrial nodes, to holy places and safe hideouts. In the<br />
last decades, however, their diversity has become a part of the heritage, as many islands<br />
experience the same fate as many other non-urban places: depopulation and,<br />
consequently, decline.<br />
Even though islands are hard to define due to their differences in size, location,<br />
population (or lack thereof), accessibility, history, and culture, the semantics of the<br />
word “island” are complex and very often translate to isolation and remoteness, with<br />
the quiet tone of romanticism and the idyll in the background, or, sometimes, with<br />
scorn suggesting convention (Kizos, 2007). Islands are also a metaphor for slowness,<br />
where changes are rare and happen in an unhurried way. However, as Heraclitus<br />
pointed out a long time ago, change is the only constant in life, and, in the last decades,<br />
change has been more visible than ever as global trends affect everyday life on<br />
the islands.<br />
During the transformation of everyday life on the islands, the aforementioned symbolism<br />
has been used for marketing purposes to transform many islands into tourist attractions,<br />
leading to the sprawl of the seasonal lifestyle. This is mostly the case with<br />
smaller islands, but some island states and bigger islands are also following this trend<br />
(such as Cyprus, Malta, Crete, and Sardinia) (Baldacchino, 2013).<br />
Islands were once inhabited by people who lived and worked in the area, much<br />
like villages. Depending on the climate and the environment, people adapted to the<br />
natural conditions and tried to use the benefits the island provided in the best way possible.<br />
We are not going to deceive ourselves with the stories of island paradises, as life<br />
on islands was hard and unpredictable, but the fact remains that people continuously<br />
lived on islands for centuries. During rainy seasons, snow seasons, droughts and winds,<br />
people remained on islands. So how did some islands become seasonal spots for the<br />
majority and permanent residences for the few? The short answer is: the exodus as a<br />
result of rapid urbanisation. The longer answer is: vacation, tourism, travel, and escape.<br />
And all of this has occurred in a little less than a century.<br />
CHASING “THE SEASON”<br />
— SEASONALITY IN THE 21 ST CENTURY<br />
The start of a new era for islands is closely connected to the development of mass tourism<br />
and the culture of vacationing that emerged after the strengthening of the welfare<br />
state and the right-to-holiday movement which connected leisure, vacation and politics<br />
(Furlough, 1998). In the Western context, the tradition of vacationing in summer is connected<br />
to the climate, as summers are usually hot and humid, and the cities are not the<br />
most pleasant locations for sweating. Because of environmental reasons, as well as the<br />
fact that school holidays and annual vacations occur over the summer, summer has<br />
slowly become a metaphor for freedom and the notion of dolce far niente. Over the<br />
time, as more vacation time was available and traveling became accessible to many, a<br />
similar process took place concerning mountain destinations during winter. Hence, one<br />
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can conclude that seasonality was embedded in tourism from the very beginning. Furthermore,<br />
contemporary mobility patterns allow people to chase the season, which<br />
strengthens the seasonality effect in many locations.<br />
According to Carlsen and Butler (2011), island tourism has developed on the wellknown<br />
premise of the “3S’s,” i.e., sun, sand, and sea, which, together with isolation and<br />
remoteness, forms a perfect escape. However, in the context of mass tourism and the<br />
fact that nothing is as isolated and remote as it used to be, many island communities<br />
and settlements are experiencing the emergence of the “3R’s,” i.e., regeneration, revitalization,<br />
and reinvention in order to secure the “3A’s,” i.e., authenticity, attractiveness,<br />
and amenities. By providing the “3A’s,” every place, as Urry (2001) suggests, seeks, and<br />
succeeds in being a niche location in the global touristic movement. There is an ongoing<br />
worldwide competition between many settlements to attract as many visitors as<br />
possible and still remain vital. The latter notion is especially vulnerable to seasonality,<br />
as seasonal highs and lows influence the way of life in the settlement, since they produce<br />
the imbalance that creates“social and personal costs of seasonality” (Koenig-Lewis<br />
and Bischoff, 2005:207).<br />
Seen as a major problem in tourism research, definitions on seasonality are numerous<br />
but share the same premise: a temporal imbalance that is systematic and has<br />
rather predictable recurrences and magnitudes (Butler, 1994; Baron, 1975; Lewis and<br />
Bischoff, 2005). According to the literature, seasonality is well documented and analysed<br />
in tourism research. Butler (1994) develops his theory based on two main origins<br />
of seasonality, natural and institutional, where latter is a “combination of religious, cultural,<br />
ethnic and social factors” (Baum, 1999). Peripheral destinations, islands included,<br />
usually experience stronger seasonal differences due to the combination of both types<br />
of seasonality, which makes them inaccessible due to weather conditions at certain<br />
times but also too costly for short visits.<br />
In this paper, the concept of seasonality is analysed through second home tourism<br />
on the islands. Second home tourism implies some level of place attachment and<br />
the creation of a lifestyle that focuses on establishing an alternative home, whilst regular<br />
tourists seek experiences and leisure. (Williams et al., 2000; MiletiÊ, 2013) That being<br />
said, the authors define second home owners as temporary residents that seek a<br />
second home in a particular settlement filled not just with natural amenities but also<br />
with a specific lifestyle. From this perspective, as Marjavaara (2007) emphasises, temporary<br />
residents may be a key to the maintenance of island life due to the fact that they<br />
contribute to possible economic development (investments in properties and contributions<br />
to the seasonal service boom) as well as to feelings of place attachment and sense<br />
of community on the part of the residents as well as themselves.<br />
The notions of the island and of the second home traditionally share an inner duality:<br />
while islands are seen as “paradises, but also Gulags,” as Baldaccino (2005) summarizes<br />
them, the immanent opening question in many discussions on a second home<br />
is whether it is a “curse or blessing” dates back to beginnings of second home research<br />
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(Coppock, 1977). Although this duality is a subject of debate, its existence immediately<br />
indicates complex relationships within the analysed phenomena.<br />
Even though the seasonality issue is obviously here to stay and different models<br />
and strategies have been developed, it is important to position seasonality in the 21 st<br />
century, where the institutional origins of seasonality or at least some of them are on<br />
the fast track to change. In this paper, we focus on seasonality in the context of second<br />
home tourism. Starting from MiletiÊ’s (2011) premise that a basic motivation for<br />
owning a second home is to escape (from a city, from everyday life) and return (to nature,<br />
to one’s roots) and connecting it to contemporary mobility, as well as the changing<br />
work dynamic (shorter work hours, working from home, remote workplace), one<br />
can imagine that being a second home owner is one of possible solutions for reducing<br />
the impacts of seasonality on the infrastructure and the social or economic dynamic.<br />
THE IMPORTANCE OF AMENITIES<br />
One of the “3A’s” that may contain the solution for many island seasonal settlements is<br />
the amenity supply. Amenities, by definition, are “qualities of a locality that make it an<br />
attractive place to live and work” (Goe and Green, 2005). This is a rather broad definition<br />
that includes different types of amenities which all “provide benefits to people<br />
through direct consumption of specific aspects of land, natural resources and human<br />
activity” (Goe and Green, 2005:96). The environmental/ non-environmental division is<br />
imposed as the most obvious one, especially from the perspective of second home<br />
tourism, as natural resources are the decisive motive for choosing the location that will<br />
serve as a second home (PeraËkoviÊ et al., <strong>2018</strong>; MiletiÊ et al., 2016). Nevertheless,<br />
Moss (2006) identifies two types of amenities, environmental and cultural, where the<br />
latter includes tangible and intangible cultural manifestations, such as the built environment,<br />
but also language and other “shared constructs.” Nilsson (2014) goes even further<br />
with the classification and includes “location-specific goods and services,” while<br />
distinguishing between natural and urban amenities. The concept of urban amenities is<br />
especially important in second home research, as the contemporary second home owner<br />
seeks escape from the urban lifestyle but, at the same time, prefers to have all the<br />
urban benefits, such as a wide range of services, transportation, sewage and water infrastructure,<br />
as well as cultural and social infrastructure (Kondo et al., 2012).<br />
SECOND HOMES ON CROATIAN ISLANDS<br />
CASE STUDY ON THE ISLAND OF »IOVO<br />
Croatian islands are characterized by population decreases and the rise of different<br />
types of tourism, including second home tourism. Until the early 20 th century, the islands<br />
were inhabited by a mostly rural population that lived and worked on the islands,<br />
creating a traditional rural community typical for many Mediterranean islands. Due to<br />
reasons connected to industrialization and urbanization on the mainland, the islands<br />
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experienced an exodus, resulting in an ongoing population decrease (BabiÊ et al., 2004;<br />
FariËiÊ et al., 2010; LajiÊ and MiπetiÊ, 2013). However, in the seventies, with the rise of<br />
the vacation culture, the islands began to transform into vacation places with an emphasis<br />
on second home development. The phenomena of second home development<br />
on the islands can be explained through two main reasons: first, it is connected to the<br />
already mentioned culture of leisure that was developing and creating the phenomena<br />
of mass tourism, and, second, it is connected to family origin, as many people living<br />
in the towns and cities had inherited land or a house on the island (MiletiÊ, 2013; MiletiÊ,<br />
Bara, and MarinoviÊ-GolubiÊ, <strong>2018</strong>). Recent research suggests that the socio-spatial<br />
transformation of the islands is related to the rise in the number of second homes<br />
or apartments built for occasional use (MiletiÊ, 2013). As mentioned earlier, according<br />
to LajiÊ and MiπetiÊ (2013), most islands suffer from depopulation, especially islands<br />
that are small and further away from the mainland, even though there is a group of islands<br />
that defies that trend somewhat, i.e., the bridged islands.<br />
In this paper, the authors focus on the island of »iovo, a bridged island characterized<br />
not just by high rates of second home dwellings but by population growth as well.<br />
MiletiÊ et al. (<strong>2018</strong>) argue that the recent development of Okrug Gornji, a settlement<br />
on the island of »iovo, has been provoked by the sprawl second homes, resulting in<br />
a shared amount of benefits and costs for the local community. The location (island,<br />
bridged, near two UNESCO heritage towns) and the long tradition of second dwellings<br />
position Okrug Gornji as a valuable starting point for researching the importance of<br />
second home development as the potential solution for reducing the impact of seasonality<br />
on a settlement.<br />
DATA AND METHOD<br />
The data analysed in this paper was drawn from a research conducted in 2016 in Okrug<br />
Gornji, a settlement located in Split-Dalmatia County (Croatia). The research was part<br />
of a larger project titled “Second homes and social sustainability of local communities<br />
in Croatia.” The data was collected through a questionnaire survey filled out in the respondent’s<br />
home using paper and pencil. The targeted population consisted of both<br />
residents and second home users. The sample was selected using a multistage random<br />
probability design and included 203 residents and 211 second home users.<br />
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: SEASONALITY AND THE SUPPLY OF<br />
SOCIO-CULTURAL AND INFRASTRUCTURAL AMENITIES<br />
Oscillations in the physical density of a population are a very common trait of tourist<br />
destinations. The dynamic of change follows both the rhythm of nature and the interchanging<br />
cycles of human work and leisure. The reason this happens is simple; people<br />
usually tend to spend their free time in a location with pleasant weather. In that<br />
sense, seasonality is not a new phenomenon in tourist destination areas; however,<br />
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Figure 1 Average usage of second homes during different seasons<br />
Figure 2 Future perspective on second home usage<br />
greater variations in the physical density of the population brought about by contemporary<br />
mass tourism have produced more and more problems for local communities.<br />
The survey results confirm the existence of seasonality in Okrug Gornji among second<br />
home owners, i.e., summer is the high season, and the rest of the year is the low season.<br />
However, during the low season, which includes autumn, winter, and spring, temporary<br />
residents still use their second house rather often. This distribution of usage suggests<br />
that second home owners in Okrug Gornji can be defined as weekend residents<br />
and not just summer people. Despite the temporality and occasionality of their stays,<br />
second home residents are an integral part of the community in Okrug Gornji, as they<br />
tend to use their second homes during all seasons (see Figure 1). Moreover, a high percentage<br />
of temporary residents (41.2%) plan to use their second homes more in the<br />
next 5 years, as shown in Figure 2.<br />
One of the most demanding challenges of seasonality in terms of population distribution<br />
is associated with the supply and demand of local amenities. Depending on<br />
the season, negative aspects of seasonality are manifested through a temporary deficit<br />
(in the low season) or temporary overutilization (in the high season) of amenities. Extreme<br />
variability in the supply and demand of amenities affects not only tourism but<br />
also the quality of life of both part-time and full-time residents. In order to identify the<br />
characteristics of seasonality, we asked the respondents to measure their levels of sat-<br />
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Figure 3 Satisfaction with socio-cultural and infrastructural amenities supply<br />
during low and high seasons<br />
isfaction with the supply of socio-cultural and infrastructural amenities separately in the<br />
high and low seasons.<br />
The percentages of respondents who were satisfied with the supply of socio-cultural<br />
and infrastructural amenities in Okrug Gornji are shown in Figure 3. The results<br />
reveal several interesting points. First, the supply of about one third of the amenities<br />
was problematic regardless of the season. With only one third or less satisfied respondents,<br />
the library, public transport, recreational and sports clubs, sport events, farmer’s<br />
market, and cultural events were among the most deficient amenities. On the other<br />
hand, there were amenities with satisfying availability throughout the whole year, such<br />
as the fire department, police, ambulance, and religious services. This availability signals<br />
that the local authority is capable of organizing the supply of communal services<br />
and amenities. However, its list of priorities obviously does not include all services and<br />
amenities that may be of interest to the local community.<br />
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The second interesting point concerns the intra-seasonal difference in satisfaction<br />
between the residents and second home users. Namely, the second home users were<br />
often less satisfied than the residents with the supply of almost all of the amenities surveyed.<br />
The largest difference in satisfaction between second home users and residents<br />
was in the supply of grocery shops (70.6% and 77.8% were satisfied with the situation<br />
in the high season, respectively, whereas 56.4% and 72.9% were satisfied with the situation<br />
in the low season, respectively), followed by repair and maintenance services<br />
(62.1% and 68.5% satisfied in the high season, respectively, and 56.9% and 69.0% were<br />
satisfied in the low season, respectively), then high-speed Internet (49.0% and 60.2%<br />
satisfied in the high season, respectively, whereas 53.1% and 62.1% were satisfied in<br />
the low season, respectively), then specialty shops (21.0% and 29.1% satisfied in the<br />
high season, respectively, whereas 10.5% and 23.4% were satisfied in the low season,<br />
respectively), and sports events (13.0% and 22.3% satisfied in the high season, respectively,<br />
whereas 3.4% and 13.4% were satisfied in the low season, respectively).<br />
Finally, considering the inter-seasonal differences, Figure 3 illustrates that there<br />
were several amenities for which the supply was considerably more satisfying in the<br />
high than in the low season. Precisely, respondents were less than satisfied with the<br />
seasonality in the supply of cafes and bars, restaurants, grocery shops, cultural events,<br />
specialty shops, sports events, and recreational and sports clubs. The highest differences<br />
were reported for the supply of cafés and bars (satisfaction with the supply in the<br />
low season was between 25 and 30 percentage points lower than in the high season)<br />
and restaurants (satisfaction with the supply in the low season was about 45 percentage<br />
points lower than in the high season). Additionally, the inter-seasonal differences<br />
in satisfaction were higher among second home users than among residents. In other<br />
words, residents were somewhat more resilient in terms of the seasonality in the supply<br />
of amenities. The reason for this could be that, with time, seasonality simply has<br />
become an integral part of the local way of living. On the contrary, the expectations of<br />
second home users are often biased by the experience of living in a larger urban, hence<br />
non-seasonal, areas, which eventually makes them more demanding users of local socio-cultural<br />
and infrastructural amenities throughout the whole year.<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
The relation between islands and second homes is rooted in the notion of escape, but<br />
the contemporary relation is multidimensional and complex. The objective of this research<br />
was to determine whether seasonality, as one of the key features of both the<br />
second home and island lifestyle, affects the availability of amenities in a small island<br />
settlement in Croatia. The findings in this study support further recent research that<br />
points out the significance of second home visitors on the way of life in a local community<br />
on the islands (Kizos, 2007; Marjavaara, 2007; UrsiÊ, MiπetiÊ, and MiπetiÊ, 2016).<br />
The amenities supply, together with authenticity and attractiveness, represents a desirable<br />
quality for postmodern settlements, particularly those that depend on the tourism<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
industry, and, in case of Croatia, almost all islands do. Even though natural amenities<br />
are usual motives for choosing a specific locality, such as Okrug Gornji, the results suggest<br />
that socio-cultural and infrastructural amenities can help to attract year-round visitors<br />
and to reduce impacts of seasonality. Bearing in mind that natural and institutional<br />
seasonality is undergoing a transformation for reasons such as extremely hot summers<br />
and changing work dynamic, just to name a few, island settlements that are dependent<br />
on tourism and weekend residents have a responsibility to upgrade social, cultural,<br />
and infrastructural amenities to reduce seasonal differences. From the local community’s<br />
perspective, the importance of reducing the impact of seasonality through<br />
non-natural amenities lies not just in prolonging of the tourist season or in its accompanying<br />
economic benefits but also in the more even distribution of visitors, which can<br />
provide benefits for permanent and temporary visitors, as well as for tourists.<br />
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Fran Horvat: Fresh freedom<br />
Migration,<br />
Security,<br />
Geography
Inoslav BE©KER, Ana RADOVI∆ KAPOR<br />
INVENTING MIGRANTS NARRATIVE:<br />
VICTIMS BETWEEN POLITICS AND<br />
LITERATURE<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
The effect that trans-Mediterranean migrations have had on social and political attitudes<br />
is substantial in Central Europe, as well as in Southern and Western Europe. In the 21 st<br />
century migrations en général — and within them particularly trans-Mediterranean migrations<br />
— have been more present than ever in literature as well.<br />
The purpose of this paper is to identify which narrative is used in the current description<br />
of trans-Mediterranean migrants. Due to the limited publishing space, the<br />
comparison is limited to political or literary discourse. In order to compare the treatment<br />
of migrants in political and literary discourse we have used our own version of<br />
multidisciplinary discursive analysis, which we have shared with the public (Beπker<br />
2010, 21-44), starting with works by Teun van Dijk (1997; 2011 2 ), but not limited to his<br />
analyses. We strive to apply pragmalinguistic analysis open to the other approaches, in<br />
our case mainly philosophical and anthropologic. In this context, we define discourse<br />
as an identifying way of presenting facts and/or views.<br />
We start with the assumption that the perception of migrants in the public information<br />
space depends on the narrative. Two narratives dominate the political discourse.<br />
One is subjective, mostly emotional; it stays away from the objective indicators,<br />
starting from statistical ones, or uses them arbitrarily, out of context, appealing to sentiments.<br />
We take that claim as axiomatic, so we will not specifically point it out. There<br />
is a plethora of evidence in the newspapers and television debates, in the superficial<br />
glimpse of the social networks, in the debates in the houses of parliament of the EU<br />
member states, in the positions of many significant politicians, in the motive for<br />
strengthening the populist parties and movements, in the reasons for the support of<br />
Brexit on the referendum, etc. The second narrative attempts to be objective, relying<br />
on weighted statistical data, it generally appears to be scientific, so we took it as one<br />
side of comparisons.<br />
Note: This article is a result of the research project The Adriatic Story — Interdisciplinary<br />
Research of Adriatic Narratives — ADRIANA, approved and financed by the Croatian Science<br />
Foundation (No. IP-09-2014).<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Within literary discourse, the narrative on migrants has existed since time immemorial.<br />
The underlying hypothesis is that an objective political narrative, in spite of the<br />
persistence of subjective political narratives on the threat of migrants, would treat migrants<br />
primarily as a geopolitical and economic problem, and that a literary analysis<br />
would treat migrants primarily through the categories of compassion and, possibly, solidarity.<br />
MIGRANTS NARRATIVE<br />
Migrations in the Traditional Imaginary<br />
The migrations narrative in literature started simultaneously with the narration on migrations<br />
and with literature itself. They bore witness to the importance of migration —<br />
tribal and even personal — in the history of humankind, and of its writings as well.<br />
The basic narration of our Western culture, namely the Bible, presents migration as the<br />
commandment of God the Father and the Creator 1 . Its fulfillment is narrated through<br />
the first six books of the Bible (Beresheet or Genesis 12, 1, to Sefer Yehôshúa or Book<br />
of Joshua 5, 129), until the realization of the mythic goal — the arrival into the Promised<br />
Land, described as “flowing with milk and honey” (Shemot or Exodus 3, 8).<br />
The anabasis and catabasis to the Promised Land is the paradigm of every mass<br />
migration, and “milk and honey” is a metaphor of the “Pursuit of Happiness”, the unalienable<br />
human right according to the United States Declaration of Independence.<br />
Happiness, however, is not unique and the only reason for migration, at least in literature.<br />
Another reason for it might be searching for “worth and knowledge”. Because of<br />
that 2 , Dante sentences Ulysses, the migrant par excellence, to a death worthy of his<br />
name and fame — pushing him downhill to the edge of the World (Inferno XXVI, 90-<br />
-142).<br />
Europe is, historically, and even prehistorically, a continent of migration. Descendants<br />
of “Ötzi” — a European killed 5,400 years ago below the Similaun in the Alps<br />
whose frozen mummy was found when the glacier began to melt — were discovered<br />
in our time not only in Tyrol and in Switzerland, but in Cornwall as well, incorporated<br />
in local descendants of Celts whose center was once in today’s Bohemia. They were<br />
exposed by a rare haplogroup G in chromosome Y, created some 30,000 years ago in<br />
the area between the present-day Iran and the Himalayas (Hauser 2016, 12) — which<br />
then moved by later migrations.<br />
1 “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and<br />
from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:2 And I will make of thee a great nation,<br />
and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:3 And I will<br />
bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the<br />
earth be blessed.” (Gen 12, 1-3, KJV).<br />
2 “fatti non foste a viver come bruti, / ma per seguir virtute e canoscenza” (Inferno XXVI, v.<br />
119-120). Translated: “you were not made to live your lives as brutes, / but to be followers of<br />
worth and knowledge” (Barolini <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
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The humankind owes its expansion and cultural diversity mainly to migrations,<br />
both group and individual ones, including the interaction of religious and cultural diasporas<br />
with a diverse cultural environment.<br />
Migrators between Exiles and Refugees<br />
Dalmatia — our present privileged observatory of the Mediterranean migrations — entered<br />
the literary narrative for the first time when her “mountainous arms”, the montanae<br />
brachia Dalmatiae (Ovidius 10 [1754] v. 39 [s. 84]), were mentioned by banished<br />
Ovid in the context of his plea to be allowed back in Rome.<br />
Proscribed Dante, from his exile, ascribed directly to Hell his fellow Florentine citizens<br />
3 who expelled him to a lifelong migration.<br />
A narrative that in its contents did not mention expatriation or exile, whether external<br />
or internal, material or spiritual, could also influence a literary work, or the writer<br />
himself. Bart Giamatti argued, being right, in favor of a reason that “Petrarch's entire<br />
existence, his sense of self, would be determined by his obsession with origin and exile;<br />
by his conviction that he was displaced and marginal” (Giamatti 1984, 13) 4 .<br />
Emigration may be the price of freedom, as Plutarch noticed already in his essay<br />
On Exile: “Aristotle was from Stagira, Theophrastus from Eresos, Stratos from Lampsacus,<br />
Lyco from Troas, Aristo from Ceos, Critolaus from Phaselis, and, in the stoic school,<br />
Zeno from Citium, Creon from Asos, Chrysippus from Soli, Diogenes from Babylon. Every<br />
one of them had to leave, […] But if they did not go [to exile], they might not have<br />
created everything they created” (Plutarch, 605 A9).<br />
The narrative on migrations varies greatly depending on the viewpoint of an interested<br />
narrator, and above all, of his/her belonging to a group that perceives a particular<br />
migration as either a chance and benefit, or a threat and disaster.<br />
3 “Godi, Fiorenza, poi che se' sì grande / che per mare e per terra batti l'ali, / e per lo 'nferno<br />
tuo nome si spande!” (Inferno, XXVI, 1-3). Translated: “Be joyous, Florence, you are great indeed,<br />
/ for over sea and land you beat your wings; / Through every part of Hell your name extends!”<br />
(Barolini <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
4 In a 1350 letter to Lodewick Heyliger Petrarch wrote “... usque ad hoc tempus vita pene omnis<br />
in peregrinatione transacta est. Ulixeos errores erroribus meis confer: profecto, si nominis<br />
et rerum claritas una foret, nec diutius erravii ille nec latius. Ille patrios fines iam senior excessit;<br />
cum nichil in ulla etate longum sit, omnia sunt in senectute brevissima. Ego, in exilio genitus,<br />
in exilio natus sum, tanto matris labore tantoque discrimine, ut non obstetricum modo sed<br />
medicorum iudicio diu exanimis haberetur; ita periclitari cepi antequam nascerer et ad ipsum<br />
vitae limen auspicio mortis accessi” (Petrarca 1350 [1933-1942], XXII, 2, 75-83). Translated: “I<br />
have spent all my life, to this moment, in almost constant travel. Compare my wanderings with<br />
those of Ulysses: if the reputation of our achievements were the same, he indeed traveled neither<br />
more nor farther than I. He left his homeland's borders as a grown up man, during the age<br />
when nothing is too long, because in the old age all things seem shorter. I was conceived in<br />
exile, born in exile. I cost my mother such labor and struggle that for a long time the midwives<br />
and physicians thought her dead. Thus I began to know danger even before I was born, and I<br />
crossed the threshold of life under the loom of death.”<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
These dichotomies can last for centuries after a migration, in politics and literature<br />
alike.<br />
Our hypothesis is that the perception of each migration — prehistoric or historical,<br />
or colonization — depends on the narration of its narrator.<br />
The late antique Migration Period, the crucial European ethno-genetic intertwining,<br />
for the Germans is known as Völkerwanderung (Seoba narodā for the Slavs), i. e.<br />
Migration of the peoples, a neutral allocution, while ancient and medieval heirs of the<br />
Greco-Roman civilization in their new languages conveyed it as the Barbarian invasions,<br />
using a negative, pejorative adjective.<br />
Following the same line, trans-Mediterranean migrations are imposed as an important,<br />
even central, social, and political issue in Central Europe, and to a considerable<br />
extent in both Southern and Western Europe, prior to the next elections for the European<br />
Parliament (May 25, 2019).<br />
At the same time, trans-Mediterranean migrations have been perceived, especially<br />
in the media, as one of the essential humanitarian problems of nowadays Europe.<br />
The media also portray them as a manifestation of inequality and discrimination,<br />
often racial or ethnic.<br />
Migrations in Mediterranean Literature<br />
Migrations en général — and within them particularly trans-Mediterranean migrations<br />
— have been more present than ever in literature.<br />
It is up to literature — fictional or factional — to transcribe the “unhomely 5 condition<br />
of the modern world” (Bhabha 1992, 145).<br />
Unlike the policy, which sees the Mediterranean as a frontier or even as a front,<br />
literature sees the Mediterranean as a whole in itself, even as a world in itself.<br />
For Paul Valéry the Mediterranean is a kind of “pre-Europe” 6 (Valéry 1924 [2000,<br />
144]): it has “produced” a European man, universal man, Protagorine “man as the<br />
benchmark of all things”; on its shores, cultures, mixed through trade.<br />
For Halikarnas Balıkçısı 7 , born Cevat Şakir Kabaaǧaçlı, ”The Mediterranean is a<br />
continent for itself, separate from Africa, Asia and Europe” (Eldem 2001, 64-65).<br />
5 Homi K. Bhabha there paraphrases the “intriguing suggestion in Goethe's final note on World<br />
Literature (1830)”. A Goethe’s concept of “unheimlich”, meaning uncanny, unhomely, but also<br />
confidential, esoteric, can be found earlier in his poem Im Vorübergehn (1813).<br />
6 “Avant même que l’Europe actuelle ait pris l’apparence que nous lui connaissons, la Méditerranée<br />
avait vu, dans son bassin oriental, une sorte de pré-Europe s’établir. L’Egypte, la Phénicie<br />
ont été comme des préfigures de la civilisation que nous avons arrêtée; vinrent ensuite les<br />
Grecs, les Romains, les Arabes, les populations ibériques. On croit voir autour de cette eau étincelante<br />
et chargée de sel la foule des dieux et des hommes les plus imposants de ce monde:<br />
Horus, Isis et Osiris; Astarté et les kabires; Pallas, Poséidon, Minerve, Neptune, et leurs semblables,<br />
rËgnent concurremment sur cette mer qui a balloté les étranges pensées de saint Paul,<br />
comme elle a bercé les rêveries et les calculs de Bonaparte…”<br />
7 The pseudonym meaning “The Fisher from Halikarnas”.<br />
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I. Beπker, A. RadoviÊ Kapor: Inventing Migrants Narrative: Victims between Politics...<br />
Predrag MatvejeviÊ wrote that the “Mediterranean is a world in itself and the center<br />
of the world” 8 (MatvejeviÊ 1990, 16), “comparable to a huge sponge, which has absorbed<br />
all knowledge and all cognition” 9 (MatvejeviÊ 2006, 54).<br />
For Catalan Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, “more of a pessimist, cynical satirist than<br />
any of the other writers mentioned so far,” the “Mediterranean has been a succession<br />
of barbarisms that have accumulated and mixed until they produced the hybrid Mediterranean<br />
man, who eats oil, olives and aubergines” (Boldrini 2003, 441).<br />
A migrant literature, as we stated, exists at least since the great exiles, like Aristotle,<br />
or Dante, or Petrarch, to Nabokov, Miĺosz, Kundera, Rushdie, etc. 10<br />
The earliest migration literature was also migrant literature: who could describe<br />
the Exodus, as a part of the Torah, if not migrants themselves? Nowadays, however,<br />
the impact of migrations on the sedentary population induced, or even challenged<br />
some authors outside the migrant circle. Therefore, according to Søren Frank (2008, 3),<br />
“…‘migration literature’ is an inclusive term that embraces all literature written in our<br />
age of migration, addresses migration thematically and, in some cases, stylistically.”<br />
The move to “migration literature” is “a move away from authorial biography as<br />
the decisive parameter, emphasizing instead intratextual features such as content and<br />
form as well as extratextual forces such as social processes” (Frank, 2008, 4).<br />
The Mediterranean offered many, definitely too many occasions for the flourishing<br />
of that genre. Our “liquid continent” is often seen as a “blue road”. However, at the<br />
same time, it is a kind of blue tomb: from the legendary comrades of Ulysses and many<br />
of their predecessors to more than 20,000 immigrants who drowned in the shipwrecks<br />
during the first 18 years of our 21 st century.<br />
Literature as the Voice of Migrants<br />
Amelia Alberti mentions those who lost their lives in Ode in memory of Anpalagan<br />
Ganeshu. The victim and the protagonist was a Tamil migrant from Sri Lanka, from<br />
whom only an ID was left, seized from the bottom of the sea and dumped on the deck<br />
of a fishing boat along with fish, octopus, shellfish, sludge, and one human bone. Anpagalan<br />
Ganeshu was 17 when he, along with 282 companions, sank during the<br />
“Christmas Shipwreck” in 1996, which was accidentally discovered much later, and became<br />
the symbol of the unknown ghastly tragedies of migrants in the Mediterranean.<br />
The same Anpagalan Ganeshu, more a child then a man, reduced to a random<br />
bone and a partially destroyed ID, is a central figure of the novel The Ghosts of Cap<br />
Portopalo (2004) by Giovanni Maria Bellu. The same subject and the same title were<br />
chosen for a television miniseries broadcast in February 2017, on the RAI.<br />
8 “Posebnost poloæaja, cjelovitost ili zaokruæenost prostora stvaraju dojam da je Mediteran svijet<br />
za sebe i srediπte svijeta”.<br />
9 “Mediteran je usporediv s golemom spuævom, koja je upila u sebe sva znanja i spoznaje.”<br />
10 Both authors of this study are migrants as well, si licet parva componere magnis.<br />
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Luckily, there were others who managed to travel the Mediterranean. Tahar Ben<br />
Jelloun in Leaving Tangier 11 (2006) describes one of them, a fictional Azel.<br />
The narrative that Leaving Tangier offers us as a guiding principle suggests a migrants'<br />
cultural shock, and a difficulty of transport, as well as adjusting. Through the<br />
troubles of his protagonist, Tahar Ben Jelloun and other authors explain that acculturation<br />
is by no means a one-way process, but rather a mutual and dialectic one.<br />
There is no culture that has not been amalgamated through a multicultural phase<br />
(and possibly many of them). The antic, diverse Greek-Roman multiculture, re-cultured<br />
through the filters of humanities and renaissance, represents one of the pillars of Western<br />
cultures, even today. Each phase caused reactionary resistance, an antithesis, which<br />
was prevailed a generation or two later.<br />
The acculturation is, without any doubt, the main theme of the migrant literature.<br />
To use the parable from the beginning of the migration literature — the Bible: the God<br />
of covenants follows the migrant saga from Abraham/Ibrahim to Moses/Moussa. One<br />
of the migrant's problems is paralleled with the economic ones, the import of his own<br />
home-version of the same God into a receiving destination where the narrative about<br />
God is completely different.<br />
From the migrants’ point of view, the cultural shock can be efficiently described<br />
by a different strategy of narration, intertwined with humor and wonder. Allow us to<br />
mention only one of many such examples, the Life is a Caravanserai, Has Two Doors,<br />
I Came in One, I Went Out the Other 12 by Emine Sevgi Özdamar. This work is a collection<br />
of vignettes told completely in a spoken jargon, from the point of view of a girl<br />
born in Turkey.<br />
However, the insight of the migrant condition can be bitter and more effective if<br />
presented by a native who impersonates a migrant. The paradigm example is a series<br />
of reportages published by German investigative journalist Günther Wallraff, under the<br />
title Lowest of the Low 13 . Wallraff worked undercover as a Turkish “Gastarbeiter”, and<br />
brought to light the brutal exploitation of migrants, blackmailed with their vulnerable<br />
position.<br />
Hunger, Thirst and Poverty as Motives<br />
“How many kinds of yogurt are on the store shelves?” may be a crucial political question<br />
in the North.<br />
In the South, hunger again rises as a present political variable.<br />
Roughly speaking, the gap between consumerism and famine severs not only favelas<br />
from the cities, but also the entire North from the South of the globe.<br />
11 Originally published in French under the title Partir.<br />
12 Original title: Das Leben ist eine Karawanserei hat zwei Türen aus einer kam ich rein aus der<br />
anderen ging ich raus.<br />
13 Original title: Ganz unten.<br />
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The problem is not a global lack of food. The humankind grows enough food for<br />
ten billion people, but it still cannot end hunger (Holt-Giménez E., Shattuck A., Altieri<br />
M., Herren H. & Gliessman S. 2012, 595). There is still “a risk of falling far short of<br />
achieving the SDG 14 target of hunger eradication by 2030” (FAO <strong>2018</strong>, XIII), even if,<br />
according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)<br />
(2009a, 2009b) the world produces more than 1.5 times enough food to feed everyone<br />
on the planet. The problem is in distribution: “people making less than $2 a day —<br />
most of whom are resource-poor farmers cultivating unviably small plots of land —<br />
cannot afford to buy this food” (Holt-Giménez E., Shattuck A., Altieri M., Herren H. &<br />
Gliessman S., 2012, 595) 15 .<br />
It means that hunger, because of the non-availability of food to certain population<br />
categories, is mainly a political problem. Migrations motivated by undernourishment<br />
are consequently a political problem as well.<br />
According to the FAO data, the world hunger is on the rise for the third year in a<br />
row FAO <strong>2018</strong>, XII). Approximately one out of every nine people in the world is facing<br />
a chronic food deprivation: “The absolute number of undernourished people in the<br />
world is now estimated to have increased from around 804 million in 2016 to almost<br />
821 million in 2017” (FAO <strong>2018</strong>, 2). “These are levels from almost a decade ago” (FAO<br />
<strong>2018</strong>, XII).<br />
“Africa remains the continent with the highest PoU 16 , affecting almost 21 percent<br />
of the population (more than 256 million people)” (FAO <strong>2018</strong>, 2).<br />
Under the conditions of an extensive economic growth, such as nomadic or seminomadic<br />
cattle breeding or primitive farming, every surviving child is a resource: a new<br />
workforce, an investment in survival.<br />
The FAO notes that it seems obvious that the global warming increases hunger.<br />
New evidence in this year’s report highlights that beside conflicts, “climate variability<br />
and extremes” are also a key force behind the recent rise in global hunger (FAO <strong>2018</strong>,<br />
38). They are also one of the leading causes of severe food crises (FAO <strong>2018</strong>, 38).<br />
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2013) the period<br />
between 1983 and 2012 was the warmest 30-year period of the last 1,400 years in<br />
the northern hemisphere.<br />
Analysis in the FAO’s report shows that the prevalence and number of the undernourished<br />
people tends to be higher in countries highly exposed to climate extremes.<br />
“Wildfires in the western United States and hurricanes on the East Coast captured<br />
media attention this summer and fall. But throughout <strong>2018</strong>, weather events also had<br />
14 Sustainable Development Goals set out in the FAO’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.<br />
15 Therefore “the bulk of industrially produced grain crops (most yield reduction in the study<br />
was found in grains) goes to biofuels and confined animal feedlots” (Holt-Giménez E., Shattuck<br />
A., Altieri M., Herren H. & Gliessman S., 2012, 595).<br />
16 PoU: prevalence of undernourishment.<br />
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devastating humanitarian consequences in developing countries, from immense floods<br />
in the Indian state of Kerala to an intense drought in Afghanistan that affected millions”<br />
(Busby & von Uexkull, <strong>2018</strong>, s.p.). They affirm that “... several risk factors make some<br />
countries more vulnerable than others to the consequences of climate change. Three<br />
stand out in particular: a high level of dependence on agriculture, a recent history of<br />
conflict, and discriminatory political institutions. Research suggests that in countries that<br />
display some or all of these risk factors, climate extremes are especially likely to lead<br />
to disastrous outcomes, including violence, food crises, and the large-scale displacement<br />
of populations” (Busby & von Uexkull, <strong>2018</strong>, s.p.). In the same article the authors<br />
presented two maps (see above).<br />
Compatibility of geopolitical maps of endangered countries and the statistics about<br />
the migrants' origin from certain high-risk areas (and from territories that do not seem<br />
to be affected by crises or conflicts) is remarkable.<br />
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Furthermore, undernourishment is even higher when the exposure to climate extremes<br />
is compounded with a high proportion of population depending on “agricultural<br />
systems that are highly sensitive to rainfall and temperature variability and severe<br />
drought, and where the livelihood of a high proportion of the population depends on<br />
agriculture” (FAO <strong>2018</strong>, 38).<br />
Climate shocks do not only negatively affect households’ own food production,<br />
but also rural incomes as the agricultural production falls. In the food-insecure regions,<br />
many small family farms both consume their products and sell them at the local markets.<br />
This exposes them to climate variations as they have less of their own food production<br />
available for consumption and less to sell. Their income is more seriously constrained<br />
to maintain a more costly basic consumption, as demonstrated by a wealth of<br />
evidence (Brown & Funks 2008; FAO <strong>2018</strong>, 72).<br />
The announced trends are not positive. “The concentration of carbon dioxide in<br />
the atmosphere is rising by about three parts per million (ppm) almost every year.<br />
During much of the early political debate around climate change in the 1990s,<br />
many scientists thought that about 350 ppm or perhaps 400 ppm was a red line that<br />
shouldn’t be crossed.<br />
Today the concentration of carbon dioxide stands at 410 ppm, and it is only increasing”<br />
(Ramanathan, Sánchez Sorondo, Dasgupta, von Braun, & Victor, <strong>2018</strong>, s.p.).<br />
By citing figures and data that are difficult or impossible to deny, the FAO claims<br />
that the main causes of hunger in Africa and, largely, in Latin America are droughts and<br />
desertification (FAO <strong>2018</strong>, 45). They increase due to the climate change, such as global<br />
warming, which is greatly a direct consequence of resource scattering in the north<br />
hemisphere, from combustion of fossil fuels to methane from cattle farms.<br />
This warns of the direct responsibility of the North for further starvation of the<br />
South, and thus for the strengthening of migration flows from the South to the North.<br />
Illegal migration from Africa and Asia to Europe (and from Latin America to the<br />
north of Rio Grande) is therefore generally economic, not motivated so much by the<br />
improvement of standards, but by ordinary hunger.<br />
“They do not arrive exhausted”, said Italian Minister of the Interior Matteo Salvini.<br />
Truth be told, the families “delegate” younger and the more powerful member in<br />
order to find work and earnings on the market of receiving countries, to help their families<br />
in the homeland, or to help them get to the receiving state.<br />
It is a perceived phenomenon, a part of the economic survival strategy. There are<br />
plenty of examples, both older and newer. Here are some of them.<br />
“In northern Nigeria, households facing greater ex ante risk have a greater probability<br />
of having at least one migrant” (FAO <strong>2018</strong>, 88).<br />
In Tanzania, for an average rural household, “a 1 percent decrease of crop production<br />
induced by a weather shock increases the probability of migration within the<br />
following year by 9 to almost 13 percentage points on average” (Kubik <strong>2018</strong>, 64).<br />
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Some social-nativist political narratives argue, often flirting with prejudices, that<br />
immigrants seize resources from the natives, leave them out of business, steal, rape, endanger<br />
Western civilization, endanger Christianity, and impose Islam (Kaczyński, Orbán,<br />
Strache, Salvini, Le Pen, Wilders, Farage etc.).<br />
The other face of the political narrative, advocated, among the others, by the Oxford<br />
University, asserts “…two-thirds of US growth since 2011 is directly attributable to<br />
migration.<br />
In the UK, if immigration had been frozen in 1990 so that the number of migrants<br />
remained constant, the economy would be at least 9 per cent smaller than it is now.<br />
That is equivalent to a real loss in gross domestic product of more than £175bn over<br />
15 years.<br />
In Germany, if immigration had been similarly frozen the net economic loss would<br />
be 6 per cent, or €155bn“ (Goldin <strong>2018</strong>, s.p.).<br />
Migrations between Two Narratives<br />
The two narratives — namely the one that perceives concrete migration as either a<br />
chance and benefit, and the other, which treats the migrants as a threat and disaster —<br />
produced two very different, opposed attitudes.<br />
Here looms an epochal conflict — and such a conflict is always a fertile substrate<br />
for narration and its narratives.<br />
“In you, as in every foreigner who knocks on our door, I see Jesus Christ who<br />
identifies with the foreigner of every age and condition, whether welcomed or rejected<br />
(cf. Mt 25:35-43)” 17 . That was a part of the Address of the Pope Francis to the immigrants<br />
placed/housed in the “Hub Regionale” in Bologna on October 1, 2017.<br />
On the opposite side, there has been the posture of a substantial part of populations<br />
and political parties. The same Europe, after it has used immigrants and often exploited<br />
them as cheap labor especially in less desirable working places, is closing its<br />
doors today. It aims to recreate the sadly remembered Festung Europa (Boldrini 2003,<br />
441), the fortress. Once against the Jews and western democracies, now against the migrants,<br />
placing deadly barriers (such as a shameful razor wire on parts of the Slovenian<br />
border), sending armies against the army of the miserable ones (Austria recently on<br />
Brenner, bordering Italy). In Europe with allegedly open Schengen frontiers, we finally<br />
have a chance to see that national borders are no longer just borders with, but frontiers<br />
against.<br />
However, fortified borders are not a new occurrence, just like the fact that that<br />
they have never stopped not only the migrants, described by the paranoid narrative as<br />
the robbers of our earnings, hijackers of our labor, rapists of our women, but also real<br />
raiders, the conquerors. Did Hadrian's wall protect the Roman Empire in Britain? Did<br />
17 “In voi vedo, come in ogni forestiero che bussa alla nostra porta, Gesù Cristo, che si identifica<br />
con lo straniero, di ogni epoca e condizione, accolto o rifiutato” (cfr Mt 25,35.43).<br />
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the Great Wall of China prevent Mongols from taking over Beijing and established the<br />
dynasty whose civilization was marveled upon by Marco Polo?<br />
It is somehow new that in Europe, in the heart of the Union, suggestions are<br />
emerging that immigrants — who came to the European shores — should be detained<br />
there, on the far edge, and that detention camps should be opened on the islands. In<br />
the same manner in which former nationalistic states were “cleansed” of “racial contagion,”<br />
now Sebastian Kurz, the public face of the Catholic Austrian People’s Party (and<br />
the European People's Party) believes and demands for Europe to be cleansed of “immigrant<br />
contagion”. This Catholic politician (at the time of this proposal Austrian Minister<br />
of Foreign and European Affairs and Integration [sic!: integration] and now the<br />
Federal Chancellor) — apparently on a diametrically opposite position from the Catholic<br />
Pope — put in front of Angelino Alfano, a Catholic from Sicily (at that time Italian<br />
Minister of Interior), a simple request: Italy must stop transferring illegal migrants from<br />
the Sicilian island of Lampedusa to its continental territory. If they are coming, that is<br />
where they will have to stay. End of story.<br />
It is a right moment to mention the request for Italy to turn its island (with some<br />
7,000 inhabitants, already on the edge of madness because of constant migrant flow)<br />
into a concentration camp with some 100,000 or 200,000 new detainees every year.<br />
This can partially be understood as a pre-election hysteria and a desperate attempt of<br />
Austrian People’s Party leaders to restore at least part of the Catholic voters who have<br />
crossed en masse to xenophobic populists from Freedom Party of Austria. On the other<br />
hand, such an idea reminds us of the extreme niche of Austrian Catholic political<br />
thought culminating in the chancellorships of Adolf Hitler, an Austrian but in Germany,<br />
when concentration camps were part of everyday life that other criminal regimes<br />
were happy to copy. Let us not forget that Hitler's ideas, exposed/laid out neatly and<br />
openly in his program brochure Mein Kampf, got the support of most voters in the<br />
democratic elections in 1932, in the midst of a crisis.<br />
Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration<br />
Emma Lazarus gave breath to Lady Liberty 18 , who really did cry with [her] silent lips<br />
Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free (Lazarus<br />
1883). This colossus was the beacon of hope and the first saluter of those who were<br />
arriving to a free and fair world, hoping to have a better chance, more luck, a variety<br />
of opportunities, no persecution, and no existential crisis they faced in their home<br />
countries. One century later and the USA, the same country that celebrates its diversity<br />
and proudly emphasises that it was built by migrants, is the only state that did not<br />
participate in the negotiations of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.<br />
18 In 1883, Lazarus wrote a sonnet The New Colossus, which was inscribed on the Statue of<br />
Liberty.<br />
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The Compact was a subject of the Intergovernmental Conference in Marrakech in<br />
December <strong>2018</strong>, and represents the “first ever agreement on a common approach to<br />
international migration in all its dimensions” (UN <strong>2018</strong>). Some of the cornerstone principles<br />
of this agreement are international cooperation, focusing on people, national<br />
sovereignty, rule of law, and sustainable development. Anne Peters, a director at the<br />
Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law Heidelberg,<br />
notes that the objectives of this document are saving lives, responding to smuggling,<br />
and eradication of trafficking (Peters <strong>2018</strong>, s.p.). To sum it up, the radical notion of this<br />
Compact is that migrants are people. Persons with universal human rights 19 .<br />
As the adoption date approached, more countries were withdrawing their support.<br />
Italy, Austria, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Estonia, and Croatia openly<br />
said that they would not be signatories, while the Prime Minister and the Minister of<br />
Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic were in a public conflict over it.<br />
While the international law professors are explaining that the Compact is a symbolic,<br />
non-binding agreement, meant to place the states under moral pressure, rather<br />
than legal, right-leaning politicians argue that it encourages further migration that could<br />
lead to a new wave, establishes migration as a positive trend, and reduces the states’<br />
sovereignty. Not only has multiculturalism allegedly “utterly failed” 20 (as stated by German<br />
Chancellor Angela Merkel eight years ago, Weaver & agencies 2010), but it also<br />
seems that multilateralism is heading in the same direction.<br />
Migration Statistics — Numbers and Destinations<br />
Does the real pressure of refugees on European countries justify all this mess? Let us<br />
examine what the last year’s numbers from the UNHCR Statistics say/look like.<br />
Among the 10 countries with the highest number of persons of concern, 21 there<br />
is only one European state: Germany, on the seventh place (1,413,127). At the end of<br />
19 “Refugees and migrants are entitled to the same universal human rights and fundamental<br />
freedoms, which must be respected, protected and fulfilled at all times. However, migrants and<br />
refugees are distinct groups governed by separate legal frameworks” (Global Compact for Migration<br />
<strong>2018</strong>, p. 2, § 4).<br />
20 Precisely, Chancellor Merkel at the Congress of German Youth Union in Potsdam said: “Der<br />
Ansatz für Multikulti ist gescheitert, absolut gescheitert!”, as reported by Der Spiegel on line,<br />
October 16, 2010, http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/integration-merkel-erklaert-multikulti-fuer-gescheitert-a-723532.html<br />
21 Refugees, according to UNHCR, include individuals recognised under the 1951 Convention<br />
relating to the Status of Refugees; its 1967 Protocol; the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the<br />
Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa; those recognised in accordance with the<br />
UNHCR Statute; individuals granted complementary forms of protection; or those enjoying temporary<br />
protection. Since 2007, the refugee population also includes people in a refugee-like situation.<br />
Other population of concern are Asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, stateless<br />
persons, and some others. Refugees (19,941,347) and internally displaced persons (39,118,516)<br />
made a 82,67 per cent of 71.44 million persons of concern globally at the end of 2017<br />
(http://popstats.unhcr.org/en/overview#_ga=2.266760780.371886184.1542908196-<br />
391446757.1542908196).<br />
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2017, there were 5,144,932 of them in DR Congo, 3,789,320 in Turkey, 3,323,629 in Sudan,<br />
1,970,983 in Ethiopia, in Pakistan 1,852,650, in Uganda 1.575,148, followed by<br />
Lebanon 1.018,416, Iran 975,525, Bangladesh 932,334, USA 929,850, Jordan 734,841,<br />
Chad 612,197, Cameroon 598,570, Kenya 506,915, and so on. If we are looking at the<br />
number of migrants per one thousand local residents, most of them are in Lebanon<br />
(173), Jordan (89), Nauru (50), Turkey (35), etc. Again, only one European country is<br />
in the top ten: Malta (18), on the ninth place. Regarding the million dollars of GDP,<br />
most of the migrants are in extremely poor South Sudan (100), followed by Chad (37),<br />
Uganda and Lebanon (20 each), then Burundi, Niger, Rwanda, Jordan, Mauritania, and<br />
Cameroon.<br />
On the other hand, European countries are not the refugees. According to Gallup<br />
Survey on Migration intents, reported by International Organization for Migration (IOM<br />
<strong>2018</strong>, 176), the top desired destination countries of potential migrants from 2010 to<br />
2015 were USA for 20.9 percent, United Kingdom for 6.1, then Saudi Arabia (5.8), Canada<br />
(5.7), France (5.5), Germany (4.9), South Africa (3.5), Australia (3), United Arab<br />
Emirates (2.9), Spain (2.8), Italy (2.6), etc. Among top ten the “brexited” EU is desirable<br />
to 13.2 percent, and other destinations to 56.9 percent of potential migrants.<br />
Taking into account the number of refugees, the desires and the economic power<br />
of European states, and then comparing them to the number of refugees in some<br />
significantly poorer countries, one can indisputably conclude that immigration should<br />
not be seen as an unsolvable problem. It is rather a litmus test of a selfish and racist<br />
attitude. It shows how the leaders of the nations with the Catholic majority are in direct<br />
clash with an utterly different, humane and humanitarian attitude represented by<br />
the magisterium of the Catholic Church headed by Pope Francis. The same pope chose<br />
the island of Lampedusa as the destination of his first apostolic journey, where he<br />
prayed at the shores of our sea, the sea that in this century became the tomb for more<br />
than 20,000 migrants, for those who departed to Europe, never arrived, and were left<br />
as the feast for the fish we catch and eat. Few are those who mention them.<br />
DISCUSSION<br />
The analysis of these attitudes and acts confirms a different treatment of migrants in political<br />
and literary narratives. Of course, the question whether the sources and the<br />
works mentioned are relevant to the discursive analysis remains open. The authors believe<br />
that they are, but this does not close a discussion.<br />
The research distinguishes one typical difference between the political and the literary<br />
narrative.<br />
The politics, through impersonal state statistics, reduces the victims to number,<br />
amassing all of them anonymously in some bookkeeping section.<br />
The literature — both fictional and factual — on the contrary chooses one among<br />
many, rendering her or his personal dignity and a dignity of a relative category of affiliation,<br />
transforming a victim into a literary character. Thereby, we are invited, in-<br />
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duced to identify ourselves with the protagonist, to suffer or to be indignant with<br />
him/her and for him/her.<br />
Both typical narratives on migrants aim at the same persons, but from two different<br />
perspectives: one as a state subjects, the other as a vulnerable human beings.<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
In the 21 st century, migrations — and within them particularly trans-Mediterranean migrations<br />
— have been more present than ever in the collective imaginary.<br />
The role of the narrative discourse in building the identity is well known. Given<br />
the fact, migrations are imposed as a suitable, seemingly a key issue of identity and alterity.<br />
In the political discourse, two opposed narratives can be perceived: one on migrants<br />
as a chance and benefit, and another, which treats migrants as threat and disaster.<br />
In the literary discourse migrants are seen prevalently as human cases, and often<br />
as an appeal to conscience.<br />
The approach that moves from the individual to the general dominates both the<br />
migrants and migration literature, as witnessed in the trans-Mediterranean themes.<br />
The political narrative sometime uses individual cases when it considers that they<br />
can affect perception, whether increasing fear of, or compassion and solidarity with migrants<br />
— but it is predominantly based on the access from the general to the individual<br />
(often flirting with prejudices). Within political narratives, there is often a discrepancy<br />
between public discourse (in parliament, in media, etc.) and diplomatic rhetoric<br />
with other states. There is an even greater discrepancy between scientifically based data<br />
on migrations and their reasons on one hand, and the political and media discourse<br />
on migrants on the other hand.<br />
The authors have dealt with basic types of political narratives and distinguished<br />
the most prevalent literary ones about the same migrations.<br />
The approach that moves from the individual to the general dominates both the<br />
migrant and migration fiction.<br />
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[FAO]. “1.02 billion people hungry”. 2009a. http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/20568/icode/<br />
[FAO] 2009b. The State of Food Insecurity in the World. Rome: Economic and Social Development<br />
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[FAO] The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World: Building Climate Resilience for Food<br />
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FRANCIS, Address of the Holy Father,<br />
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2017/october/documents/<br />
papa-francesco_20171001_visitapastorale-bologna-hubregionale.html<br />
FRANK, S. Migration and Literature: Günter Grass, Milan Kundera, Salman Rushdie, and Jan<br />
Kjaerstad. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.<br />
GIAMATTI, B., “Hippolitus Among the Exiles”, Exile and Change in Renaissance Literature, New<br />
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Draft, 11 July <strong>2018</strong>.<br />
GOLDIN, I. “Immigration is vital to boost economic growth”, Financial Times, September 9 th , <strong>2018</strong>,<br />
https://www.ft.com/content/f1ca7b14-b1d6-11e8-87e0-d84e0d934341; and Oxford Martin<br />
School, University of Oxford, https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/opinion/view/420<br />
HAUSER, A. “Geschichte aus dem DNA-Labor”, Med-Inn: Magazin der Medizinischen Universität<br />
Innsbruck, 01-2016, ss. 8-12.<br />
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Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge, UK<br />
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=nlc-fa_fatoday-<strong>2018</strong>0913<br />
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Josip KASUM, Æeljka PRIMORAC, Marko PILI∆<br />
THE INFLUENCE OF ISLAND<br />
INFRASTRUCTURE ON SECURITY,<br />
SUSTAINABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT<br />
OF NAUTICAL TOURISM<br />
1. THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF THE ADRIATIC SEA AND ISLANDS<br />
The Adriatic Sea, whose name dates from the 4th century BC, was named after the great<br />
ancient port center of the Adriatic (enciklopedia.hr, Jadransko more), the branch of the<br />
Mediterranean Sea that separates the Apennine Peninsula from the Balkans. The length<br />
of the Adriatic Sea is 783 kilometers and the average width is 248 kilometers. The average<br />
depth of the Adriatic Sea is 173 meters, extending over an area of 138,595 square<br />
kilometers (prirodahrvatske.com, Jadransko more). Given its geographical position, the<br />
Adriatic allows access to the open sea to Italy from the west coast, and to Croatia, Montenegro<br />
and Albania from the eastern coast. Of course, when you have several states<br />
situated in a relatively small geographic area all wanting access to the open sea, there<br />
will be border disputes. These disputes are primarily carried out between Croatia and<br />
Slovenia in solving the question of the Savudrija Valley. There is also a dispute between<br />
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia regarding the Neum Gulf and between Montenegro<br />
and Croatia about Prevlaka.<br />
On the other hand, the Republic of Croatia has 1,244 islands, islets, rocks and<br />
ridges, 78 of which are islands, 524 islets and 642 reefs (DundoviÊ, KovaËiÊ, Badurina-<br />
TomiÊ, 2015, pp 208). With the aim of protecting the islands, the Croatian government<br />
adopted a legal regulation titled the Law on Islands (hereinafter: the Law, in Croatian:<br />
Zakon o otocima). The Law is based on the rules set out in the National Development<br />
Program of the islands. According to Article 2 of the Law, the islands are divided into<br />
two groups based on demographic and economic development principles. The first<br />
group consists of underdeveloped islands and islets and small, occasionally inhabited<br />
and uninhabited islands, while the second group consists of all the islands that are not<br />
listed in the first group and the Peljeπac Peninsula. Given that the Law was adopted on<br />
the basis of the National Development Program of the islands, program activities include<br />
organic farming (olive cultivation, cultivation and processing of medicinal herbs,<br />
viticulture, sheep farming), fish trade, breeding and selective extraction of marine organisms.<br />
As a result, indigenous Croatian island products are created for the purpose<br />
of better promotion and quality placing on the market of island products. The island<br />
development program aims to create all the prerequisites for increasing the quality of<br />
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life for the purpose of sustainable economic and social development by emphasizing<br />
and promoting the islands’ particularities. It covers inhabited islands from the six coastal<br />
counties: the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, the Split-Dalmatia County, the Zadar County,<br />
the ©ibenik-Knin County, the Lika-Senj Counta and the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.<br />
It is also important to point out that the outer boundary of the Croatian territorial<br />
sea is a line that is twelve nautical miles away from the nearest starting point. The starting<br />
line, in accordance with Article 18 section 2 of the Maritime Code (in Croatian: Pomorski<br />
zakonik), consists of:<br />
1) The low-water line along the coast of the mainland and islands,<br />
2) The straight lines that close the entering points to ports or bays,<br />
3) The straight lines connecting the following points on the coast of the mainland<br />
and islands:<br />
a) Cape ZarubaËa — southeastern Cape of Mrkan Island — South Island of Sv. Andrija<br />
— Cape Gruj (island of Mljet)<br />
b) Cape Korizmeni (Mljet Island) — Glavat Island — Struga (Lastovo Island) —<br />
Cape Veljeg Mora (Lastovo Island) — southwestern part of Kopiπte Island —<br />
Velo DanËe (KorËula Island) — Cape Proizd — southwestern cape of Vodnjak<br />
Island — Cape Rat (Drvenik Mali Island) — Mulo Rock — Blitvenica Cliff —<br />
Purara Island — Balun Island — Mrtovac Island — Garmenjak Veli Island on<br />
Dugi Island with coordinates 43° 53’ 12” north latitude and 15° 10’ 00” east longitude<br />
c) Cape Veli Rat (Dugi Otok) — Masarine Ridge — Mape Margarina (Susak Island)<br />
— Albaneæ — Grunj Island — the rock of Sv. Ivan na puËini — Mramori — Altieæ<br />
Island — Cape Kastanjija.<br />
2. TRAFFIC OF VESSELS IN NAUTICAL TOURISM AND ACCIDENTS<br />
Maritime traffic, at least as far as the Croatian part of the Adriatic is concerned, has more<br />
than nineteen million passengers on board annually. At the same time, twelve million<br />
passengers and three million vehicles are discharged to a total of fifty public lines,<br />
while charter operations account for about 540,000 passengers or users (»iËovaËki,<br />
2017). According to official data, the maritime traffic numbered 1,400 vessels, 2,700<br />
yachts, 115,000 boats and 6,207 vessels in charter operations while sailing under the<br />
Croatian flag 61,300 boats and yachts sailing under a foreign flag (»iËovaËki, 2017). It<br />
is important to note that about 41% of the annual maritime traffic on the Croatian Adriatic<br />
coast takes place during the three most important months: July, August and September.<br />
It is interesting to compare the structure of the transported passengers in 2016<br />
and 2017; the number of passengers on public lines increased by 2%, while the passenger<br />
number decreased by 1% on international cruises and multi-day trips. When it<br />
comes to foreign boats and yachts, there is an upward trend in the number of applications<br />
for port captains — in only two years, from 2015 to 2017, an increase of 12.5%<br />
was recorded. In 2017 only, there were 31,000 arrivals in navigation and traffic of for-<br />
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J. Kasum, Æ. Primorac, M. PiliÊ: The Influence of Island Infrastructure on Security...<br />
Picture 1 Number of sea accidents in 2015 and 2016 by months<br />
(Source: »iËovaËki, L., Safety of sea and sea protection from pollution due to<br />
increased maritime traffic, Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure)<br />
Picture 2 Maritime accidents by type of vessel<br />
(Source: »iËovaËki, L., Safety of sea and sea protection from pollution due to<br />
increased maritime traffic, Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure)<br />
eign boats and yachts. In the same context, we can analyze port entry points and port<br />
captain applications where the Harbormaster's Office (hereinafter: LK) in Pula had the<br />
largest number of applications (19,637). The rate of applications is then followed by LK<br />
Rijeka (14,372), LK Zadar (9,965), LK ©ibenik (8,185), LK Split (3,765), etc. Although<br />
leading with the number of LK applications, Istria and the Primorje-Gorski Kotar counties<br />
have shown a downward trend as well as the Zadar and ©ibenik-Knin counties. According<br />
to currently available data, we know that total traffic loads increased by 10%<br />
in 2016 compared to the previous year, but it is worrying that the number of maritime<br />
accidents also increased by 21% over the same period.<br />
When it comes to the types of vessels involved in maritime accidents, more than<br />
90% of the cases were boats and yachts. Specifically, in 2015, boats and yachts took<br />
part in 91.2% of marine casualties and in 2016 in 94.5% (»iËovaËki, 2017). Also, it is<br />
important to emphasize that a great number of accidents on sea are due to insufficient<br />
nautical experience and human mistakes (MohoviÊ, BariÊ, ItkoviÊ, 2013, p. 128).<br />
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Given that higher maritime traffic is causing a greater number of maritime accidents,<br />
it is clear that there will be more search and rescue (hereinafter: SAR) efforts on<br />
the waters. Also, the volume of traffic in the busiest months (June-September) effects<br />
the SAR service that has the most intervention in that period. On average, the duration<br />
of one SAR operation takes approximately three hours, while the average number of<br />
rescued persons per year is 753. According to the Harbormaster’s Office data on total<br />
reported marine accidents and accidents, in the year 2016, the share of SAR operations<br />
was 33%, while the number of operations alone was 38% higher than in 2015 (»iËovaËki,<br />
2017). In the year 2017, the National Headquarters for Search and Rescue at Sea<br />
reported that the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center — MRCC Rijeka and other Maritime<br />
Rescue Sub Centers — MRSC (Pula, Rijeka, Senj, Zadar, Sibenik, Split, PloËe, Dubrovnik)<br />
carried out a total of 454 search and rescue interventions at sea due to various<br />
maritime accidents. (National Headquarters for Search and Rescue at Sea at Sea,<br />
<strong>2018</strong>, p. 1) Most of the search and rescue interventions were medical evacuations and<br />
assistance to crews or vessels incapable of navigation. However, despite great efforts<br />
of SAR teams forty people died at sea, seven of which were natural deaths while others<br />
as a result of accidents they were involved in. There are also positive examples of<br />
search and rescue operations; the total number of people rescued in the mentioned period<br />
was 765.<br />
3. INFRASTRUCTURE IN NAUTICAL TOURISM<br />
Significant attention should be directed at ports of embarkation as vital aspects of infrastructure<br />
in nautical tourism. However, infrastructure of the islands and their coastline<br />
also plays an important role in nautical tourism (e.g., accommodation capacities<br />
and health services), and their quality enables the steady growth of Croatia’s nautical<br />
tourism. Croatia officially has 140 ports of nautical tourism, half of which are land or<br />
categorized marinas (State Bureau of Statistics, <strong>2018</strong>, p. 2)<br />
Ports of nautical tourism occupy a total of 3,711,981 square meters of water, compared<br />
with the shore length for mooring a boat of 62,993 square meters. Nautical tourism<br />
in Croatia counts a total of 17,067 berths. The great number of formentioned berts<br />
are taken by vessels 12 — 15 meters long and 10 — 12 meters long. At a national level,<br />
the number of people employed in nautical tourism ports is 1,665, while the need<br />
for workers is significantly higher during the tourist season and is evident by the employment<br />
of an additional 400 people in this time period. (Croatian Statistics Bureau,<br />
<strong>2018</strong>, pp. 2-3)<br />
The revenues of nautical tourism ports have shown an upward trend in the last<br />
three years. Five of the six county ports of nautical tourism have shown an increase in<br />
revenues compared to the previous year, and the most striking is the ©ibenik-Knin<br />
County, which generates rather large revenues despite having fewer ports than, for example,<br />
the Split-Dalmatia County. (Croatian Statistics Bureau, <strong>2018</strong>, p. 6) We can thus<br />
conclude that the most important aspect for nautical ports is the number of categorized<br />
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J. Kasum, Æ. Primorac, M. PiliÊ: The Influence of Island Infrastructure on Security...<br />
Picture 3 Ports of nautical tourism 2017<br />
Source: Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Nautical Tourism — Capacity and Turnover of Ports in 2017)<br />
Picture 4 Capacity of nautical ports and persons in employment, August 31, 2017<br />
(Source: Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Nautical Tourism — Capacity and Turnover of Ports in 2017)<br />
marinas. Increasing categorized marinas increases revenues. European countries’ revenue<br />
is approximately 28 billion euros with 243,000 jobs (KragiÊ, 2017, pp. 19).<br />
The development of nautical tourism largely depends on the infrastructure, starting<br />
from the general minimum conditions (water supply, safety of boats and people,<br />
drainage, environmental protection, lighting, berths, etc.) (Favro, KovaËiÊ, 2010)<br />
through equipment (land space, catering, drinks, etc.) to high-quality services (reception,<br />
guest protection, foreign language skills, trade and hospitality services, etc.). (LukoviÊ,<br />
BiliÊ, 2007, p. 120).<br />
When it comes to the quality of infrastructure in specific marinas as in nautical<br />
tourism ports, several island marinas s stand out. Aci Marina Milna on the island of BraË<br />
is open all year round and has 170 berths in the sea and twenty dry places. This marina<br />
has recently been completely restored — all the gates are brand new and the<br />
berths are supplied with electricity and water connections. The marina also has a reception<br />
desk, a restaurant, a workshop, a crane of up to ten tons, several convenience<br />
stores and a grocer. The marina's traffic connectivity is very high because it is connect-<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Picture 5 Income realised by nautical ports, not including VAT, 2016 and 2017<br />
(Source: Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Nautical Tourism — Capacity and Turnover of Ports in 2017)<br />
ed to Split via Supetar, only twenty kilometers away, and to Hvar by frequent ferry lines<br />
and because of the international airport on the island (©kiljo, 2017, pp.27).<br />
On the other hand, the island of Hvar has two Aci Marinas with high infrastructure<br />
levels. The smaller of these two is Aci Marina Vrboska. It is open all year and has<br />
eighty-five berths in the sea and thirty dry accommodation units. All berths are<br />
equipped with power and water connections. The marina includes a reception desk,<br />
exchange office, restaurant, toilets, service shops, a lifting crane of up to five tons as<br />
well as a gas station. The marina is connected to other places on the island by bus and<br />
ferry lines from Starigrad to Split, Rijeka and Dubrovnik. The other marina on Hvar island<br />
is Aci Marina Palmiæana, which is open from March until the end of October and<br />
has 160 berths in the sea and land equipped with electricity and water connections.<br />
The marina includes a reception, exchange office, restaurant and sanitary facilities as<br />
well as a grocery store and it is connected with the island of Hvar by taxi boats during<br />
July and August, significantly reducing the marine infrastructure quality (©kiljo,<br />
2017, p. 28.). One of the major ports of nautical tourism is located on the island of KorËula.<br />
Aci Marina KorËula is located in the eastern bay of KorËula and is open all year<br />
round. 135 marine berths and fifteen dry accommodation units, equipped with electricity<br />
and water connections, make this marina one of the most important in this part of<br />
the Adriatic. The marina itself includes a reception, restaurant, laundry, grocery store<br />
service shop, a crane of up to ten tons, parking spaces for cars, a petrol station (0.5<br />
nautical miles from the harbor). Aci Marina KorËula also has an accommodation capacity<br />
of eleven apartments. The traffic connection of KorËula is at a high level. Namely,<br />
the island has a ferry line from OrebiÊ to the Peljeπac peninsula, from where you can<br />
reach the Dubrovnik or Split airports, Drvenik, Split and also has ferry lines to Rijeka<br />
and Dubrovnik (©kiljo, 2017, p. 29.). One of the most important islands in terms of nautical<br />
tourism in Croatia is certainly the island of Vis. Vis has two moorings (TuristiËka<br />
zajednica Vis, <strong>2018</strong>): mooring Luka and mooring Kut.<br />
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J. Kasum, Æ. Primorac, M. PiliÊ: The Influence of Island Infrastructure on Security...<br />
The Luka mooring has sixty specialized moorings, twelve yacht cabinets with six<br />
electrical connections. If we assume that two moorings are needed to moor one boat,<br />
we can conclude that the capacity of the moorings is a “port” that can hold thirty vessels.<br />
On the other hand, the Kut mooring is twice as small; it has thirty specialized<br />
moorings and six yacht cabinets with six ectricity connections. When looking at Vis<br />
from the aspect of administration and services offered, it can be concluded that Vis has<br />
a well-equipped infrastructure. Several important institutions have their offices on Vis,<br />
such as:<br />
— State Administration Office in Split-Dalmatia County — Vis<br />
— Ministry of Interior Affairs, Police Administration of the Split-Dalmatia County,<br />
PD Vis<br />
— Ministry of Finance and Tax Administration, Split Office, unit Vis<br />
— Water Supply and Drainage of Vis island<br />
— Volunteer Fire DepartmentVis<br />
— Health Center of Split-Dalmatia County, Vis Office,<br />
— Vis Pharmacy and Dental Practice<br />
— Laundries, cinemas, banks, cars…<br />
— Post office<br />
— Shops<br />
Vis is connected to Split mainly by ferry or catamaran, but it can also be reached<br />
directly from Italy, which means good traffic connections. In the end, the number of<br />
visitors is what counts, reflecting quality and success (Vis Tourist Board, <strong>2018</strong>). According<br />
to the latest reports of the Central Bureau of Statistics, a large number of passengers<br />
in seaports visited Vis island in <strong>2018</strong>. During the three busiest months of the year<br />
(June, July, August), Vis counted 18,832 passengers in June, 31,365 passengers in July<br />
and 31,564 passengers in August (Croatian Bureau of Statistics, 2017, Traffic of passengers<br />
in nseaports).<br />
On the other hand, coastal ports represent the opposite of island ports mainly due<br />
to greater geographic possibilities. If we take the example of Marina Frapa in Rogoznica,<br />
near ©ibenik, we can see a considerable difference in infrastructure. Marina Frapa<br />
extends through nine gullies and measures 136,000 square feet. It has 300 berths in the<br />
sea and 150 dry accommodation units, all equipped with power and water connections.<br />
The marina has a reception, exchange office, luxury apartments, restaurants, wine bars,<br />
bars, shops, pastry shops, pizzerias and much more. The marina is very well-located<br />
and has excellent traffic connections: it is close to Split Airport and to two national<br />
parks (©kiljo, 2017, p. 24). In 2012, the Institute for Tourism conducted a survey on the<br />
guests’ satisfaction with the tourism supply, and it was found that the sailors were satisfied<br />
with only two elements of navigation in Croatia: the beauty of nature and the<br />
landscape and personal safety. (MaruπiÊ, Z., Horak, S., Sever, I., 2012, p. 56).<br />
When looking at guest satisfaction, satisfaction with infrastructure rated lowest, indicating<br />
there is room for progress, mainly with berth width and fully functional, qual-<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
ity of service in the marinas, vessel facilities, quality of technical services, sanitary facilities<br />
in the marina, shopping availability as well as other events.<br />
4. IMPROVEMENT MEASURES<br />
Nautical tourism is an important branch of Croatian tourism and constant progress is<br />
necessary if it does not want to lose the “battle” with producers of the same services<br />
in the Mediterranean, such as Greece and Turkey. In order to be competitive in this<br />
segment, some preconditions must be met. There are certain prerequisites for a product<br />
to be successful. First of all, it is important to set up business conditions that ensure<br />
the consistency of services anywhere in Croatia. The reputation of the product<br />
must grow steadily, and this reputation must be based on the beauty of the landscape<br />
and nature, the safety of passengers as well as destination content and quality service.<br />
In short, promotion must be effective, and the result will always be successful sales.<br />
Croatia’s tourism product in nautical tourism needs to have steady growth in quality<br />
and demand; the products must be diversified and adapted to market needs and segments,<br />
the infrastructure needs to be improved from year to year, with particular em-<br />
312<br />
Picture 6 Degree of satisfaction with the elements of the offer<br />
(Source: MaruπiÊ, Z., Horak, S., Sever, I., 2012, p. 56)
J. Kasum, Æ. Primorac, M. PiliÊ: The Influence of Island Infrastructure on Security...<br />
Picture 7 Model of improvement measures<br />
phasis on “green” technology — responsible behavior towards the environment. (Action<br />
Plan for the Development of Nautical Tourism, 2015, pp. 33) A brief SWOT analysis<br />
of improvement measures (if we distinguish the first three items in each table)<br />
showed that strengths are natural beauty and clean sea, ecologically preserved landscape<br />
and personal safety, opportunities are the uniqueness of the European market,<br />
favorable climate conditions for season extension and work to ensure the necessary stability<br />
in the region (Favro, KovaËiÊ, GræetiÊ, 2008, p. 33); threats are ignoring the problem<br />
of berths in ports open to public traffic, potential environmental pollution and<br />
growth of foreign competition, while weaknesses are insufficient promotion, destination<br />
amenities and catastrophic economic and human resource management relations<br />
to domestic shipbuilding. Authors ©eriÊ and Trebjeπanin said it well: “Development<br />
should be created on a long-term planning platform and designed management, respecting<br />
nature and the environment, rational management of natural resources and<br />
defining the supporting capacities of this part of the Adriatic.” (©eriÊ, Trebjeπanin, 2012,<br />
p. 7)<br />
The European acquis in Directive 2000/59/EC aims at reducing waste and shipboard<br />
waste in a way that improves the accessibility of waste reception facilities and<br />
shipboard waste in European ports as well as the modernization of port infrastructure.<br />
(Primorac, Barun, Bulum, 2017, p. 318.) The European Commision also amended Annex<br />
II of Directive 2000/59/EC regarding port reception facilities for ship-generated<br />
waste and initiated a new categorization of garbage with exact data on the type and<br />
amount of waste generated by ships by filling out a new form when entering the port.<br />
(Directive 2015/ 2087, 2015, p. 1).<br />
The model of measures for improving nautical tourism is based on three basic<br />
branches:<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
1. Improving infrastructure through the same nautical tourism ports (berths, services,<br />
facilities, etc.) and introducing new technological processes that will enable<br />
it to modernize the entire system.<br />
2. Preservation of the environment is the key to tourism, especially nautical. Waste<br />
and wastewater control is a necessity and needs to be implemented through the<br />
application of “environment-friendly” technology. There is a need to find a balance<br />
between improving infrastructure and preserving the environment, since<br />
legislation partially limits the construction of new marinas due to potential environmental<br />
consequences. The annual vessel services consists of change of lubricants<br />
and engine oils (mostly) and only in Croatian part of Adriatic, annualy,<br />
vessels change over 180 tons of oils and lubricants (Zelenika, ViduËiÊ, 2007, p.<br />
525), which poses a great environmental hazard if the change is not carried out<br />
according to strict ecological standards.<br />
3. Promotion always plays an important role in tourism, and the Republic of Croatia<br />
should pay particular attention to its marketing strategy because it is promoting<br />
not only the beauty of the landscape and the clean environment but secure<br />
tourism as well. (Development Strategy of Nautical Tourism in Croatia during<br />
2009—2019, p. 23) In this context, stability in the region is of key importance<br />
for both nautical and standard tourism as well as a great climate, clean<br />
seawater and excellent port allocations that allow sailing in and out of multiple<br />
ports in one day (Alkier, Milojica, DrpiÊ, 2014, p. 244).<br />
5. CONCLUSION<br />
The beauty and benefits of the Adriatic Sea as well as the length and the indentibility<br />
of Croatia’s coastal area are the bases for the development and realization of Croatian<br />
nautical and national tourism. In the last decade, nautical tourism has shown constant<br />
globalization growth for several reasons. Firstly, beautiful nature and landscape and<br />
personal safety are a sure way to attract visitors, and secondly, the geographic position<br />
along with regional and political stability have also played a role in the growth of Croatian<br />
nautical tourism.<br />
However, there are elements of this branch of the economy that need to be further<br />
developed so that growth over the next few years increases or at least remains the<br />
same. The ecological segment is perhaps the most important link in this chain. The current<br />
inability to accept and dispose of wastewater from vessels in a large number of<br />
marinas represents a serious problem. Lack of equipment to accomplish these tasks is<br />
just one of the reasons for the inability to run wastewater. The waste management system,<br />
the modernization of the existing system and the introduction of “green” technology<br />
are the only acceptable steps towards the further development of nautical tourism.<br />
Furthermore, the issue of traffic connections between the coast and the islands still exists<br />
and is not that evident during the tourist season but is very apparent by the end of<br />
the season. Promotion of nautical tourism is an important segment in terms of retain-<br />
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J. Kasum, Æ. Primorac, M. PiliÊ: The Influence of Island Infrastructure on Security...<br />
ing existing guests as well as increasing new arrivals. Having a good product and not<br />
knowing how to sell it can be compared with not having anything at all. Croatia’s nautical<br />
tourism should promote not only the immense beauty guests are surrounded with<br />
but also emphasize personal safety, which in today's age of terrorist attacks and large<br />
migrations plays a key role in tourism world-wide.<br />
The development and sustainability of Croatian islands is not only a seasonal task<br />
but should be of vital importance all year round. Only in this way will people stay on<br />
the islands throughout the year and influence the further development of nautical tourism<br />
by extending the season for several months. Season extension is also supported by<br />
favorable climate conditions as well as by improving the islands’ facilities and developing<br />
ports of nautical tourism.<br />
References<br />
Alkier, R., Milojica, V., DrpiÊ, D. (2014), Promocija kao faktor ojaËanja konkurentske pozicije<br />
nautiËkog turizma Republike Hrvatske na turistiËkom træiπtu, Pomorski zbornik, Vol. 49-50<br />
No.1, available at: https://hrcak.srce.hr/138210<br />
»iËovaËki, L. (2017), Sigurnost na moru i zaπtita mora od oneËiπÊenja uslijed poveÊanja pomorskog<br />
prometa, Ministarstvo mora, prometa i infrastrukture, Biograd.<br />
Directive (EU) 2015/ 2087 amending Annex II to Directive 2000/59/EC of the European Parliament<br />
and the Council on port reception facilities for ship generated waste and cargo residues,<br />
available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/<br />
?uri=CELEX:32015L2087&from=HR<br />
Dræavni zavod za statistiku Republike Hrvatske, (2017), Promet putnika u morskim lukama.<br />
Dræavni zavod za statistiku Republike Hrvatske, (<strong>2018</strong>), NautiËki turizam — Kapaciteti i poslovanje<br />
luka nautiËkog turizma u 2017.<br />
DundoviÊ, »., KovaËiÊ, M., Badurina-TomiÊ, P. (2015), Prilog istraæivanju postojeÊeg stanja i<br />
tendencija razvitka nautiËkog turizma u Republici Hrvatskoj, Pomorski zbornik, Vol. 49-50<br />
No.1, available at: https://www.google.com/<br />
url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjGle<br />
WOtITfAhWwp4sKHeJsBMQQFjAAegQIABAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fhrcak.srce.hr<br />
%2Ffile%2F203746&usg=AOvVaw3UisKKpLBicd501Q55ggcI<br />
EU Comission: Commission Staff Working Document on Nautical Tourism; Brussels, 30. 3. 2017;<br />
SED8(2017)126 final, available at: https://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/sites/maritimeaffairs/<br />
files/swd-2017-126_en.pdf<br />
Favro, S., KovaËiÊ, M. (2010), NautiËki turizam i luke nautiËkog turizma, Split.<br />
Favro, S., KovaËiÊ, M., GræetiÊ, Z. (2008) Nautical tourism the basis of the systematic development;<br />
Pomorstvo, god. 22, br. 1, available at: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=<br />
s&source=web&cd=1&ved=2ahUKEwi6-fjttITfAhVilYsKHQveD4AQFjAAegQIChAC&url<br />
=https%3A%2F%2Fhrcak.srce.hr%2Ffile%2F39083&usg=AOvVaw0DECaNP2GTOiav6HBoay_y<br />
Hrvatska enciklopedija, dostupno na: http://www.enciklopedija.hr/natuknica.aspx?id=28478<br />
http://www.enciklopedija.hr<br />
http://www.prirodahrvatske.com<br />
Institut za turizam (2015), Akcijski plan razvoja nautiËkog turizma, Ministarstvo turizma Republike<br />
Hrvatske, Zagreb, available at: https://mint.gov.hr/UserDocsImages//AA_<strong>2018</strong>_c-dokumenti/<br />
akcijski%20planovi//005_151022_akc_p_nautic.pdf<br />
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KragiÊ, P., (2017), Prijedlog dorade pravnog reæima za nautiËki turizam radi podizanja njegove<br />
konkurentnosti, Poredbeno pomorsko pravo, Vol. 57 No. 172, available at:<br />
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=<br />
2ahUKEwiTqPSatYTfAhURtosKHR0qDDkQFjAAegQICRAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fhrcak.srce.hr<br />
%2Ffile%2F287962&usg=AOvVaw3yU-oZZRYRUEhrgzDFy4kE<br />
LukoviÊ, T., BiliÊ, M. (2007), Luke nautiËkog turizma u Hrvatskoj i strategija lokalnoga razvoja,<br />
“Naπe more” 54(3-4)/2007, available at: https://www.google.com/<br />
url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=2ahUKEwi_8-KptYTfAhXmw4s<br />
KHcP0DIUQFjAAegQICRAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fhrcak.srce.hr%2Ffile%2F25004&usg=<br />
AOvVaw2yOIMOq4V1mOcH1ETXJWLA<br />
MaruπiÊ, Z., Horak, S., Sever, I. (2012), Stavovi i potroπnja nautiËara u Hrvatskoj — TOMAS<br />
NAUTIKA Jahting 2012, Institut za turizam, Zagreb.<br />
MohoviÊ, –., BariÊ, M., ItkoviÊ, H., (2013), Prilog unaprjeappleenju sigurnosti plovidbe plovila<br />
nautiËkog turizma, Pomorstvo, Vol. 27 No. 1, available at: https://www.google.com/<br />
url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjm9bTCtYTfAhU<br />
iqIsKHTaXA9sQFjAAegQICBAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fhrcak.srce.hr%2F104191&usg=<br />
AOvVaw0sGcnHSMQC72namAt-IECu<br />
Nacionalna srediπnjica za usklaappleivanje traganja i spaπavanja na moru — MRCC Rijeka, (<strong>2018</strong>),<br />
StatistiËki podaci SAR akcija od 01.01.2017. do 31.12.2017., available at: http://www.mppi.hr/<br />
default.aspx?ID=7355<br />
Pomorski zakonik (NN 181/04, 76,07, 146/08, 61/11, 56/13, 26/15).<br />
Pravilnik o razvrstavanju i kategorizaciji luka nautiËkog turizma (NN 142/99, 68/07).<br />
Primorac, Æ., Barun, M., Bulum, B., (2017), Legal requirements for Croatian marinas according to<br />
european standards for the port waste facilities, 22nd International Scientific Conference on<br />
Economic and Social Development — “The Legal Challenges of Modern World”, available at:<br />
https://www.bib.irb.hr/951653<br />
Strategija razvoja nautiËkog turizma Republike Hrvatske za razdoblje 2009.—2019., Republika<br />
Hrvatska — Ministarstvo mora, prometa i infrastrukture; Ministarstvo turizma, Zagreb, prosinac<br />
2008., available at:<br />
http://www.mppi.hr/UserDocsImages/Strategija%20razvoja%20nautickog%20turizma%20HR%20<br />
1.pdf<br />
©eriÊ, N., Trebjeπanin, D., (2012), Repozicioniranje nautiËke ponude Republike Hrvatske, dostupno<br />
na: https://bib.irb.hr/datoteka/755305.2._Trebjeanin_eri_REPOZICIONIRANJE_NAUT_<br />
PONUE_RH.doc<br />
©kiljo, D. (2017), Potencijalna rjeπenja problema nautiËkog turizma srednjeg Jadrana, SveuËiliπte u<br />
Splitu, Ekonomski fakultet, Split, available at: https://repozitorij.efst.unist.hr/islandora/<br />
object/efst:1639/preview<br />
TuristiËka zajednica grada Visa, dostupno na: http://www.tz-vis.hr/Default.aspx?sifraStranica=177<br />
Zakon o otocima (NN br. 34/99, 149/99, 32/02, 33/06).<br />
Zelenika, R., ViduËiÊ, V. (2007), Model razvitka nautiËkog turizma u Republici Hrvatskoj do godine<br />
2015. Ekonomski pregled, 58 (9-10), available at: https://hrcak.srce.hr/17092<br />
316
Natasha Kathleen LEVAK, María Florencia LUCHETTI, Katica JUR»EVI∆<br />
RETURN-MIGRATION TO THE ANCESTRAL<br />
AND/OR CULTURAL HOMELAND:<br />
FINANCIAL, CULTURAL, SOCIAL, AND<br />
EMOTIONAL PERSPECTIVES AND<br />
PROCESSES UNDERGONE BY WOMEN<br />
WHO MOVED TO THE DALMATIAN<br />
COAST OF CROATIA<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
There are many factors that influence the complex decision-making process involved<br />
in return-migration (Lui, 2016). This study examined the decision-making processes carried<br />
out by women who decided to leave their “host” country and re-migrate to the<br />
Dalmatian coast of Croatia as well as women who are second-generation Croatians<br />
born in their parents’ host country and have decided to move to their self-identified<br />
“cultural homeland”. This article begins by examining the literature relating to factors<br />
that influence these women’s decision-making processes, motivations for return-migration<br />
as well as current transnational behaviour. Second-generation Croatians are not returning<br />
to their place of birth but to the place of birth of their parents. In this cultural<br />
sense, the process is part of return-migration of the family to their ancestral roots. Indepth<br />
interviews were used to collect data. The participants were asked about their decision-making<br />
and planning processes prior to their move to Croatia, their experiences<br />
once they moved and their families’ and friends’ perspectives in relation to their decision<br />
to move. Interview data was analysed using NVIVO 12 software. The main themes<br />
and sub-themes are presented and discussed along with interesting quotations. Recommendations<br />
are given based on the data analysis.<br />
2. KEY CONCEPTS RELATING TO RETURN MIGRATION<br />
2.1. Definitions of Return Migration<br />
Return migration is explained by Dustmann and Weiss (2007) as the process in which<br />
migrants who left their country of origin and stayed in a host country for a “significant”<br />
amount of time, decide they want to return to their country of origin and do so. The<br />
return of asylum seekers or unauthorised migrants (Cassarino, 2014) is not included in<br />
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this study. When defining return migration, Kunuroglu, van de Vijver and Yagmur<br />
(2016) included the group “second-generation returnees”. The term return migration is<br />
used in this article to include second-generation returnees who are returning to the<br />
birth country of their parents. For these people, the concept of returning is still conceptualised<br />
as returning to their ancestors’ homeland and/or their self-determined cultural<br />
homeland. This is not to say that one cannot also be culturally aligned with the<br />
dominant culture of their birthplace as well as with the dominant culture of the birthplace<br />
of their parents with a sense of cultural duality or hybrid identity (Gentles-Peart<br />
& Hall, 2012). Identity has been recognised as having an influence on return migration<br />
and was included as a topic in the interview, but it is not focused on in this article.<br />
2.2. Return Migration — Theoretical Frameworks Relating to<br />
Motivation and Influential Factors<br />
Concepts of migration as a one-off process are narrow and do not reflect the modernday<br />
phenomenon that includes migration, re-migration and multistep migration, which<br />
are complex and involve many factors (Lou, 2016). Return migrants’ motivations and<br />
considerations for return are complex and interconnected. To date, there has not been<br />
only one accepted theoretical framework for scientific research in this area (Castles,<br />
2010; Toma & Castognone, 2015), hence this investigation considered a range of economic<br />
and non-economic reasons and influential factors, including networks, family<br />
and social life over an extended period. An approach to investigating migration that includes<br />
an individual’s life trajectories is better suited to gaining a deeper comprehension<br />
of migration. Kou, Bailey and Wissen (2009) call this a life path or life careers approach.<br />
This approach examines social, economic, and geographical mobility (King &<br />
Ruiz-Gelices, 2003).<br />
Cassarino (2004) highlights five predominant theoretical frameworks used to analyse<br />
migration: neoclassical economics, the new economics of labour migration, structuralism,<br />
transnationalism and social network theory. The neoclassical economics approach<br />
describes return migration as the result of an unsuccessful attempt abroad with<br />
less financial gains than expected. The new economics of the labour migration approach<br />
considers return migration as the next planned step after achieving financial<br />
goals abroad.<br />
According to the structural approach, a migrant’s return is influenced by structural<br />
and contextual factors. It is considered in the social and economic context of the<br />
host country and the origin country along with the returnee’s perceptions and contextual<br />
realities. Preparation for return is highlighted as an important part of the process,<br />
and a returnee’s intentions are viewed as having a large impact on their perceptions<br />
and their social and economic re-integration processes. The ability to find accurate information<br />
is considered to be highly important, as is the influence of the political situation<br />
in the origin country since expected or unexpected changes may or may not have<br />
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N. K. Levak, M. F. Luchetti, K. JurËeviÊ: Return-migration to the ancestral...<br />
occurred. Return success is also influenced by whether the location one returns to is<br />
urban or rural (Cassarino, 2004).<br />
The structural approach in Cerase’s typology highlights four main return motivations:<br />
return of failure, return of conservatism, return of retirement, and return of innovation.<br />
If a migrant returns to their country of origin due to perceived failure, this failure<br />
relates to social integration and economic failure. Returnees who go abroad with<br />
the aim to make enough money to be able to purchase property in their country of origin<br />
fall into the return of conservatism category. They do not aim at changing their<br />
homeland, just at becoming financially secure in it. Returnees who go abroad for the<br />
duration of their work life and then return to retire in their country of origin fall under<br />
the return of retirement category. The final main typology, return of innovation, relates<br />
to returnees who go abroad with the aim of building finances and developing their<br />
knowledge and skills to return to their country of origin and improve the situation there<br />
for themselves and/or their community. They are viewed as agents of change (Cerase,<br />
1974).<br />
In the structural approach, information gathering was emphasised as important but<br />
seen as difficult. Transnationalism focuses on the economic and social connections that<br />
migrants and returnees create and maintain. Although different definitions of transnationalism<br />
exist, the common focus is the behaviour that transcends the conventional<br />
concepts of geographical national spaces as the main reference for migrant activities.<br />
Migrants who live transnational lives are regularly partaking in communication and information<br />
exchanges, which are not bound by the geographical borders of their homeland<br />
or their host country. Kelly (2012) asserts, based on research findings relating to<br />
Iranians and transnationalism, that diasporic transnational connections are a key aspect<br />
of international opportunities.<br />
Communication is further aided by the Internet with its vast range of interactional<br />
opportunities, such as one-on-one email and messages, chat groups, social media<br />
sites, online news, forums, online television, mobile phone groups, and this list is not<br />
exhaustive. Discussion topics may relate to a variety of themes, some of these being<br />
sports, politics, ideas relating to culture and cultural preservation, values, identity formation,<br />
new forms of identity, trade opportunities and history. This transfer of ideas<br />
through transnational activities is viewed as being “social remittances” (Vertovec, 2002,<br />
International Organisation for Migration, 2010). During the planning for return phase,<br />
migrants are often visiting their country of origin, creating social and economic networks<br />
and preparing themselves for their return. When a migrant returns to their homeland,<br />
these social, political and economic networks remain or are adapted to the new<br />
situation. Through interaction with their country of origin, host country and then again<br />
with their country of origin once they return, migrants alter and develop their worldviews,<br />
their cultural, political and economic understandings which can alter and develop<br />
their own perceptions and identities (Cassarino, 2004; Snel, Engbersen & Leerkes,<br />
2006). From this viewpoint, transnationalism appears to assist return migration, but<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
from the standpoint of the host country, it impedes the acculturation process into the<br />
host country’s culture (Levitt, 2003).<br />
Social network theory focuses on the returnee and their tangible and intangible<br />
resources. The returnee is bringing an array of resources to their home country. Social<br />
and business networks assist in knowledge building and creating opportunities. Migrants<br />
are social actors self-selecting their networks, which are complementary (Cassarino,<br />
2004). Cassarino (2004) includes the concept of return preparedness, comprising<br />
of the returnee’s willingness and readiness to return, as being as important as resource<br />
mobilisation of tangible and intangible resources and social capital pertaining to a returnee.<br />
Both of these major aspects are influenced by and have influence on the circumstances<br />
in the host and home countries.<br />
2.3. Influence and Perceptions of Family and Friends<br />
When a family decides to migrate, they may do so for a variety of reasons: economic,<br />
such as a better salary and non-economic, such as politics, health, standard of living<br />
and so forth. (Bijwaard & van Doeselaar, 2014). When a person or family decides to<br />
re-migrate, the major influencing factors are family and lifestyle, with family influencing<br />
cultural identity formation (Casey & Dustmann, 2010; Gibson & Mckenzie, 2011).<br />
Family can also form part of the challenge for all types of migration and especially<br />
when elderly family members may be left behind or have issues relating to pension<br />
and health care access, impeding their ability to return.<br />
2.4. Push and Pull Factors Relating to Children<br />
Immigrants were seen as transferring their own earning potential, socio-economic and<br />
cultural characteristics onto their children. These aspects influence the possibility of return<br />
migration for the first as well as second generation. Dustmann (2008) argues that<br />
the career prospects of a male child can influence the decision to return or not. Economic<br />
career choices for male children influence parental decisions while preserving<br />
cultural traditions influence their choice to return or stay in the host country for female<br />
children. It is suggested that these differences relating to the decision-making processes<br />
of the parents based on the sex of the child are influenced by the culture of the<br />
country the family originated from.<br />
2.5. The Croatian Context<br />
Croatia has a strong history of migration with its residents leaving in waves throughout<br />
different periods for differing reasons. Examples from the 15 th through to the 20 th century<br />
demonstrate that migration is generally permanent. Examples from just the last<br />
century include waves of migration from the beginning of World War I, when many<br />
residents moved to North America, throughout the war and up until the end of World<br />
War II, when many left to North America, South America, Australia and New Zealand.<br />
Between 1945 and the 1960s, migration was mainly driven by political reasons. During<br />
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N. K. Levak, M. F. Luchetti, K. JurËeviÊ: Return-migration to the ancestral...<br />
the 1960s and 1970s, many left for economic reasons to work in countries such as Germany,<br />
Italy, Austria and Switzerland as well as the others previously mentioned. Initial<br />
temporary work abroad became permanent with families following their loved ones to<br />
the host countries. War in Croatia during the 1990s again led to mass migration with<br />
approximately 150,000 Croatians leaving as refugees and around 400,000 coming as refugees<br />
to Croatia from Bosnia and Herzegovina. From 2009, along with Croatia’s accession<br />
into the European Union in 2013, waves of migration from Croatia occurred and<br />
continues to occur, with skilled workers leaving mainly for economic reasons as well<br />
as frustration with the political system and corruption. Although the history of migration<br />
from Croatia is not the focus of this article, it demonstrates Croatia's problem of<br />
population loss with almost as many Croatians living abroad as in its borders (JuriÊ,<br />
<strong>2018</strong>; Æuparic-IljiÊ, 2017; »apo, Hornstein TomiÊ & JurËeviÊ, 2014).<br />
Return migration to Croatia is generally poorly documented, with some investigations<br />
documenting different types of return — mainly the return of older generations<br />
after gaining sufficient financial security, the return of younger generations and second<br />
generations to defend Croatia during the war and the return of second- and third-generations<br />
to their ancestral homeland. Most accounts of return were due to a person's<br />
love of their/parents’ country of birth and family, with money and politics being viewed<br />
as less important (see »apo, Hornstein TomiÊ & JurËeviÊ, 2014; »apo ÆmegaË, 2010).<br />
With limited investigations documenting the process of return and the processes following<br />
return as well as the self-descriptions of a returnee's psychological disposition,<br />
this study examined a group of women and their reasons for return, processes undertaken<br />
and experiences influencing their return, with special attention given to families'<br />
and friends' perspectives who were still living in the host county.<br />
3. METHODOLOGY<br />
3.1. Research Focus<br />
There were six guiding research questions that were developed from the main themes<br />
identified in the literature relating to return migration. The first question considered<br />
motivation and preparedness: what were the decision-making considerations and processes<br />
that women who return to Croatia underwent prior to returning? The second<br />
question examined the influence of social context and relationships: what were their<br />
families’ and friends’ perceptions of their return during the decision-making process<br />
and following re-migration? The third question asked how having children may have<br />
influenced a returnee’s decision: what were the push and pull factors in relation to having<br />
children that influenced the decision-making process for woman who returned with<br />
their children? The fourth question investigated the types of transnational behaviours<br />
the women participated in during their decision-making process to move, after their<br />
move, to the present day: did these women participate in transnational behaviours prior<br />
to leaving and once they settled in Croatia? If so, in which manner (formal and/or<br />
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informal), through which networks and connections and using which mediums? The<br />
fifth question considered their labour-market participation and processes: do these<br />
women participate in the labour-market after returning, and if so, in what manner? Are<br />
the returnees: employed, seeking employment, self-employed, retired, or studying? The<br />
final question examined participants’ comparisons relating to their social lives: what are<br />
the similarities and differences between their social lives in Croatia and in the host<br />
county? Participants provided informed consent prior to participating in the in-depth<br />
interviews.<br />
3.2. Participant Profiles<br />
The participants were women aged between thirty and seventy who moved to Croatia<br />
and were either born in Croatia or were second-generation Croatians. There were ten<br />
participants, which is not representative of the entire population of female returnees in<br />
this region. Five were second-generation Croatians and five were first-generation returnees.<br />
Participants were located in a variety of towns along the Dalmatian coast. They<br />
were contacted through diasporic groups.<br />
3.3. Interview Tool<br />
In-depth interviews, which utilised guiding open-ended and closed-ended questions,<br />
were conducted with all the participants. The initial closed questions were related to<br />
age, place of birth, host country and time abroad. The open-ended questions were<br />
about topics related to the research questions. These were used to assist the interviewer<br />
if needed and to help ensure that all topics were covered. The interviewer encouraged<br />
the participants to discuss their life experiences relating to Croatia and decisionmaking<br />
considering the events in their life histories that influenced their choice to return<br />
(Dustmann & Kirchkamp, 2002). To gain a wider perspective of social contextual<br />
influences, questions investigated whether the participants’ plans were discussed with<br />
their families and friends beforehand and if their families’ opinions and advice influenced<br />
their decision to move? For returnees with children, questions were posed relating<br />
to the manner in which having children influenced their decision to return, for example,<br />
educational, social and personal safety considerations.<br />
The participants were asked about their transnational behaviours prior to leaving<br />
Croatia (if applicable) while living in the host country and behaviours once they returned<br />
to Croatia. They were asked about their information-gathering processes relating<br />
to work and social life and their participation in social media groups. Labour-market<br />
participation was investigated by asking the participants about their working status<br />
and experiences (Dustmann & Kirchkamp, 2002). The final focus topics were the influence<br />
of their knowledge of Croatian on their work and social life, comparisons between<br />
their social life in Croatia and the host country and relationship-building and<br />
maintenance (Cassarino, 2004).<br />
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N. K. Levak, M. F. Luchetti, K. JurËeviÊ: Return-migration to the ancestral...<br />
3.4. Interview Analysis<br />
Each participant was provided a code number. The interview data was transcribed, reflected<br />
on and reread to decipher the main themes and concepts presented, through<br />
this process they were decoded for meaning (Saldana, 2009). NVIVO 12 software (see<br />
http://www.qsrinternational.com/products_nvivo.aspx) was utilised to assist in the data<br />
analysis. Once the main themes were identified, they were labelled using descriptive<br />
codes that were grouped into categories termed “nodes”. This became the basis of the<br />
coding scheme. For example, under the category “labour participation” sat the subcategories<br />
“retired”, “self-employed”, “studying”, “unemployed” and “seeking work”. Identification<br />
and analysis of the themes followed, leading to the development of concepts<br />
relating to the themes and research questions. Richards and Morse (2007) asserted that<br />
concepts are the high-level constructs that are developed from codes and themes. The<br />
next step was a further analysis of the data to identify direct quotes that represented<br />
the meaning behind the concepts and unanticipated patterns in the results. A second<br />
rater (a sociologist) was asked to read the interview data and identify the main themes.<br />
These were compared to check the reliability of the interpretation.<br />
4. RESULTS<br />
4.1. Decision-Making Processes (Research Question 1)<br />
The choice of living location prior to return was determined based on either family<br />
roots (n = 9) or work opportunities (n = 1). The second generations (n = 4) made their<br />
initial decision to move during their teenage years, following through with their move<br />
in their 30s or 40s. The results greatly varied among the first generations. All participants<br />
considered culture, landscape and family as the three key reasons for returning.<br />
Others reasons were social life (n=9), lifestyle (n=9), food (n=7), death in the family<br />
(n=3) and adventure (n=2). Participant 2 commented “Once I lived outside of Croatia,<br />
I started to value what Croatia had, our culture, being safe, our food …” In their discussions,<br />
nine participants referred to themselves as having a strong determined psychological<br />
disposition, using words such as “stubborn”, “I just focus on my goal” and<br />
“I don’t see it as failure, just one more learning (experience).” Participant 1 stated “If I<br />
had listened to everyone who said to me that you need to have ‘veze’ (connections) to<br />
get a job, then I wouldn’t be here. That kind of thing makes me more determined.”<br />
Eight participants advised that having a specialised office for assistance in all areas,<br />
both business and personal, would be of benefit to future returnees.<br />
4.2. Influence and Perceptions of Family and Friends (Research Question 2)<br />
Nine out of ten women reported that their family was supportive of their move. Participant<br />
7 reported that although her mother was supportive, her father was totally against<br />
it, stating, “My dad’s reaction wasn’t the best, he was against it. He is still against it and<br />
won’t speak it me… for four years because I am here… His stance is that I am ruining<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
my life here and I left a good job...” Nine participants commented that they had some<br />
positive and some negative reactions from friends, which they found disappointing, but<br />
they did not allow the negativity to influence their decision-making.<br />
4.3. Push and Pull Factors Relating to Children (Research Question 3)<br />
Four participants did not have children. Since only one woman in the group had young<br />
children during her return migration, there is not sufficient data to make generalisations.<br />
A noteworthy comment made was that she is considering sending her children<br />
back to Australia for university education. The remaining women who did have children<br />
(n=5) waited until they had grown before they moved.<br />
4.4. Transnational Behaviours (Research Question 4)<br />
Each participant either grew up in Croatia or/and had visited Croatia a number of times<br />
before deciding to move back. For some this included around five visits and for others<br />
multiple visits, where the final move was a transition to full-time living in Croatia. Five<br />
participants consider their visit to Croatia during their teenage years as a crucial event<br />
in their life history and believed it influenced their decision to return. The most common<br />
form of virtual contact with family and friends is through Whatsapp, Viber and Facebook.<br />
Community contact or information-seeking prior to their move was mainly<br />
through community Facebook pages.<br />
4.5. Labour-Market Participation (Research Question 5)<br />
Results have shown that the women participate in a variety of labour-market activities:<br />
four are salary-employed (employees), one is retired, four are self-employed and one<br />
wanted to open a business but reported the process as too difficult, so she opened a<br />
not-for-gain organisation to help people with Alzheimer’s disease. Nine participants described<br />
their work or retirement situation generally as positive. All the returnees interviewed<br />
were skilled workers in their host country prior to returning to Croatia (Solimano,<br />
2008). Participant 7 commented on the influence of having a personal approach<br />
when communicating and she would apologise for her language skills: “I would go in<br />
(to offices, shops, restaurants...) very apologetic and sweet.” Most participants (n=8)<br />
commented that procedures related to information gathering and the establishment of<br />
businesses and employment could be difficult, but they were patient and worked hard<br />
to achieve their goals. One participant stated that bureaucratic processes, idiosyncrasies<br />
and difficulty in finding accurate information have led to her considering returning<br />
to Australia. Seven participants created their own work opportunities, and all of them<br />
commented on the importance of hard work and many focused hours building their<br />
business networks.<br />
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N. K. Levak, M. F. Luchetti, K. JurËeviÊ: Return-migration to the ancestral...<br />
4.6. Social Life Comparisons (Research Question 6)<br />
Nine participants responded that their social life felt fuller in Croatia than in the host<br />
country because of more regular contact with people and stronger friendships. One<br />
participant from New York commented that her social life was the same in both countries.<br />
The style of socialising for the nine women was also different with all commenting<br />
that socialising occurred mainly at home in their host countries and less frequently<br />
in a café or restaurant, while in Croatia, they go out for coffee or drinks more than<br />
once a week with friends. Participant 9 explained, “In Perth, if it’s a weekday, people<br />
don’t want to go out, or if it rains. Where in Croatia, people are socialising after work.”<br />
5. DISCUSSION<br />
Women in the study mainly moved to areas their family roots had come from. Each<br />
woman provided answers that demonstrated a sense of determination, self-will, motivation<br />
and action. The results showed that the process of decision-making for the second-generation<br />
participants mainly started in their teenage years, with return visits<br />
strengthening their desire to move. They all recalled the moment when the final decision<br />
was made, which is when they took action and started planning their move. They<br />
all initially returned due to their family roots, with lifestyle, social life and quality of<br />
food being extremely important benefits. Death in the family affected three participants<br />
and was part of their reason for return.<br />
Although all the women experienced positive support from some family members,<br />
some participants reported negative commentary as well, mainly due to their family’s<br />
concern about their new adventure. Most of their family members also acknowledged<br />
that these women were like pioneers, realising their family’s dream of returning home.<br />
Some friends displayed negativity that appeared to have stemmed from two main concepts:<br />
(1) negativity because the woman was leaving her immediate family and 2) negativity<br />
towards the low possibility of success and low salaries in Croatia. The most extreme<br />
negative reaction was the opinion of one father who felt that his daughter had<br />
‘returned to fail’ in life. This perception stems from the view that if a family had worked<br />
hard to leave hardships in the country of origin and establish life and success in the<br />
host country, the return is considered a backward choice leading back to hardship. This<br />
negative family perception is in contrast to other women’s experiences whose families’<br />
ultimate goal was to return home, which is viewed as an achievement of this goal<br />
against all odds. The return is viewed as a family’s success, a ‘success of return’. Both<br />
views and reactions appear to be linked to the initial motivation for leaving.<br />
All women participated in transnational behaviours prior to and following the<br />
move that consisted of virtual connections to individuals and social media groups interested<br />
in finding out what the community (host and diaspora) they left are doing. All<br />
women had visited Croatia prior to moving on numerous occasions and once shortly<br />
before the move. These visits to Croatia were imperative to their decision to move. For<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
second generation participants, visiting Croatia during their teenage years assisted in<br />
the development of their interest in moving to Croatia. All participants made comments<br />
in relation to what Cassarino (2004) referred to as the returnee’s readiness to return,<br />
and in particular, relating to information gathering prior to moving such as searching<br />
for relevant information on the Internet, contacting various people and agencies. Actions<br />
taken in the initial six months to a year after their move to Croatia were viewed<br />
as important on-site preparations for setting up their life situation.<br />
326<br />
Table 1 First generation migrants’ reactions to their daughters’ decision to<br />
return to the country of origin<br />
Motivation for the family Reactions to the First-generation migrants’<br />
(first generations) second-generation daughter perceptions of their<br />
to leave wanting to return daughters’ return<br />
1. Poor conditions led to Negativity ‘return to fail’ From success in the host country<br />
migration with the intent (negative comments, to perceived certain financial failure<br />
of never returning rationalisation and interfamily in the country of origin. Viewed as a<br />
talk, ostracised)<br />
poor decision going against the hard<br />
work of the initial family migration.<br />
2. Poor conditions led to Positivity ‘success of returning’ With many difficulties in returning,<br />
migration with the intent (positive comments, positive the return is viewed as a realisation<br />
to return one day. support and assistance, of the family dream and is supported.<br />
family pride)<br />
Politics did not appear to have any influence on their decision-making. The participants<br />
who already knew the Croatian language quite well prior to moving, or were<br />
at least at an intermediate level, found socialising with the locals easier. Social life was<br />
viewed as having a high level of importance in Croatian society with a greater frequency<br />
of social events. This was a major motivation for return.<br />
6. LIMITATIONS<br />
Accurate statistics relating to Croatian female returnees in the Dalmatia region are not<br />
readily available. Although the research data was based on in-depth interviews, the<br />
group size is not representative. Nevertheless, the data did demonstrate pertinent insights<br />
that could warrant further investigations. The participant group did not contain<br />
many women who had younger children, not allowing for an accurate understanding<br />
of the influence of children in decision-making.<br />
7. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS<br />
The Croatian government and institutions should develop return preparedness and re-<br />
/integration programs, specifically focused on second and third generation Croatians.<br />
Returnees commented that improved assistance and accurate information relating to<br />
business, employment and health and pension access would be beneficial. Cassarino’s
N. K. Levak, M. F. Luchetti, K. JurËeviÊ: Return-migration to the ancestral...<br />
concept of preparedness (2004) is pertinent to a ‘readiness to return’ with the initial<br />
phase after return containing important actions preparing returnees for successful integration.<br />
An understanding of these return processes and influences would gain further<br />
depth if this study was expanded in participant numbers and compared with a study<br />
that investigated women who returned to Croatia and did not succeed in their goals<br />
and moved back to the host country. Such a comparative analysis could be used to facilitate<br />
the development of proactive measures to assist returnees prior to return and<br />
during the first six months, as well as analysing whether/how personality types affect<br />
the success of return.<br />
In conclusion, women form a part of the group returning to Croatia, and their<br />
main reasons for returning are related to their cultural family background and their love<br />
of Croatia’s landscape, lifestyle, social life and quality of food. Nine of the ten returnees<br />
displayed a very motivated and positive mindset regarding control over their choices<br />
and their life path in Croatia and are intending to stay permanently. Knowledge of<br />
Croatian was of great benefit especially for social situations. All of the women interviewed<br />
completed higher education ranging from degrees to doctorates and were successful<br />
in their industries prior to returning, with one participant finding it hard to establish<br />
her work and social life in Croatia. The women’s self-perceptions of their personalities<br />
included traits such as stubborn, strong-willed, open and friendly. These<br />
women’s successes and learnings highlight the importance of understanding return migration<br />
concepts and processes for first and second generation Croatians with the aim<br />
to assist more returnees.<br />
References<br />
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María Florencia LUCHETTI, Marina PERI∆ KASELJ,<br />
Natasha Kathleen LEVAK<br />
DUBROVNIKANS IN SOUTH AMERICA:<br />
CONTEMPLATING IDENTITY THROUGH<br />
HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY<br />
PERSPECTIVES<br />
1. INTRODUCTION: INVESTIGATION PROBLEMS AND OBJECTIVES<br />
The migratory processes from Croatia to South America have been investigated primarily<br />
from a historical perspective. This paper shows the results of the first phase of an<br />
ongoing empirical investigation with the objective to analyze, from a sociological perspective,<br />
the (Croatian) identity of migrant Croatians and their descendants in South<br />
America. This study focuses on native Croatians and their descendants from the Dubrovnik<br />
region. The aim of the research is to collect and analyze data relating to sociodemographic<br />
characteristics about Croatians located in South America, their identity<br />
and their connection to Croatia. The research questions are: does an ethnic identity relating<br />
to Croatia exist within the South American community? If so, how is it expressed<br />
and preserved? If not, what are the reasons it does not exist? Which factors influence<br />
losing or not maintaining an ethnic identity? How much did the area of emigration-regional<br />
origin influence the formation and creation of the Croatian emigrant community?<br />
Did it generate certain specifics? In what sense were they shown as non/dominant<br />
categories?<br />
2. THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS<br />
ABOUT THE NOTION OF IDENTITY<br />
In the mid twentieth century the term identity started to be used in the field of social<br />
sciences. Studies carried out by Erickson in the field of psychology soon impacted and<br />
exerted a great influence on other disciplines. Many of his proposals were taken up in<br />
the classic study of Berger and Luckmann (1971 [1966]); the key premise underlying<br />
their thesis was that reality is constructed socially. Two conclusions from their study<br />
became highly influential for the further development of the concept of identity: (1)<br />
identity is at the same time subjective and social, and (2) identity is formed in and<br />
through culture (Mercado & Hernández, 2010; Brah, 2011). In sociology, the issue of<br />
identity came to focus in the 1960s and 1970s; the importance of the actor’s subjectivity<br />
and point of view was a response to the objectivism that had prevailed until that<br />
329
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
time. However, it seems that the construction of identity is inseparable from the sociological<br />
conception of the subject that is in transformation. In this way, identity can be<br />
thought of as a strategic concept in the social sciences, which articulates the subjective<br />
and objective dimensions of social life (Dubet, 1989; Giddens, 1996; Jenkins, 1996).<br />
The concept of identity places us in the domain of the theory of social action.<br />
From this perspective, human beings are considered social actors, not mere subjects or<br />
individuals. The social actors invest their practices of meaning, which are always social,<br />
referring us to the realm of culture, which is always objectified and subjectified.<br />
Social identity is the result of processes of selective, hierarchical and contrastive internalisation<br />
of a specific cultural repertoire on the part of social actors (Giménez, 2007).<br />
Thus, only a cultural and interdisciplinary perspective allows the construction of a finished<br />
account of the constitution of identities. The concepts of culture and identity have<br />
acquired an increasingly relevant space and function as an articulating axis of the main<br />
concepts used in the social sciences (Dubet, 1989; Giménez, 2007; Brah, 2011).<br />
Following Dubet (1989), there are different logics of social identification demonstrating<br />
that identification is complex and heterogeneous. According to the logics of social<br />
identification, which are associated with different levels of social action, different<br />
dimensions or levels of identity can be distinguished. The author highlights three dimensions<br />
of identity: (1) identity as the subjective aspect of integration, (2) identity as<br />
a resource for action or the strategic dimension of identity and (3) identity as a commitment<br />
and vocation. These three dimensions of identity refer to three forms of social<br />
relationships that correspond to levels of action and are present at the same time in<br />
each society or historical formation. Each of these levels of identity is linked to a specific<br />
type of problem and behavior and works according to its own logic and rules.<br />
Therefore, the task of the sociology of identity entails showing how these levels are organized<br />
and articulated.<br />
On the other hand, Giddens (1996 [1991]) analyses the notion of identity of the<br />
self, examining the changes it has undergone in modernity. The concept alludes to the<br />
“self” reflexively understood by the individual in terms of his/her own biography. It<br />
would be a distinctively modern project in which the individual tries to reflectively<br />
build a personal narrative that allows him/her to understand himself/herself and have<br />
control over his/her life and future in conditions of uncertainty (Giddens, 1996; Vera &<br />
Valenzuela, 2012). The human experience is an experience mediated, in principle, by<br />
language and the process of socialization. Language and memory are the fundamental<br />
tools of individual remembrance and the institutionalization of collective experience. In<br />
modernity, changes in the intimate aspects of personal life are linked to the establishment<br />
of very wide social links. This is the result of a process where the mediation of<br />
experience is increased and made more complex with the development of different<br />
means of social communication. The increasing mediatization of daily life means that<br />
the media not only reflects reality, but in a large part, configures it. In this way, modernity<br />
introduces a great spatiotemporal distancing between all the events that make<br />
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M. F. Luchetti, M. PeriÊ Kaselj, N. K. Levak: Dubrovnikans in South America...<br />
up a person's life, producing as a result an identity that is shaped more and more<br />
through an interpenetration of the local and the global.<br />
The identity of the self implies a reflective consciousness — It is that of which the<br />
individual is conscious; it is the self, reflexively understood by the person in terms of<br />
his biography. Self-understanding is always an interpretation and as such finds a privileged<br />
mediation in the narrative. In this way, the personal narrative or biography is<br />
one of the axes (together with the historical experience) in which subjectivity is recognized<br />
and which expresses the internalization of the social structures within the subjects<br />
(Urresti, 2008). Therefore, identity can be understood as a process through which<br />
"the multiplicity, contradiction and instability of subjectivity is meant as endowed with<br />
coherence, continuity and stability; as having a nucleus (…) that is enunciated at a given<br />
moment as the “I” (...) The “I” is installed not in an identical but in a relational way,<br />
as the “we”, through the discursive space of subjectivity, and the power and practice<br />
of institutions” (Brah, 2011, p. 173).<br />
2.1. Research Strategy<br />
The proposed conceptualization of identity entails a way of understanding the culture<br />
that operates as a framework for the research strategy approach. As a constitutive dimension<br />
of social practices that provides both representations (“models of”) and orientations<br />
for action (“models for”), culture “is first of all habitus (...) disposition (...) [e]<br />
identity (...), that is to say, culture acts upon and lives from the point of view of the<br />
actors and their practices” (Giménez, 2007, pp. 44-45). As a symbolic dimension of social<br />
life, culture is composed of objectified and internalized symbolic forms. To carry<br />
out the study of internalized symbolic forms there are great paradigms that can serve<br />
as a guide: the paradigm of social representations, comparable to the paradigm of habitus<br />
or disposition (Bourdieu or Lahire), and the paradigm of cognitive schemes (Giménez,<br />
2007). The paradigm of social representations offers a wide variety of methodological<br />
procedures to analyze its content and structure. Through its descriptive and interpretative<br />
analyses, it is possible to understand beliefs, attitudes, information and<br />
opinions that, arising from common sense, constitute a socially elaborated and shared<br />
form of knowledge.<br />
Following these premises and objectives proposed in the introduction, the designed<br />
strategy includes the development of a data collection instrument: a questionnaire<br />
in Spanish, which was self-administered through the Internet (email, social networks,<br />
online forms). The survey was carried out in <strong>2018</strong>, and so far, more than 300<br />
responses have been received, fifty-four of which correspond to Croatian descendants<br />
from the Dubrovnik region. The questionnaire combines open and closed questions as<br />
well as exclusive and non-exclusive answer questions, with the possibility of including<br />
several options. The survey is structured in four parts:<br />
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1. The first part contains questions oriented to the socio-demographic characterization<br />
of the population: sex, age, civil status, education level, work conditions,<br />
religion, place of birth and place of residence, citizenship.<br />
2. The second part contains questions oriented to the characterization of the identity<br />
of the population: nationality (self-definition), religion, knowledge of the<br />
Croatian language, membership and participation in Croatian community associations,<br />
awareness of Croatian reality, following the news, knowledge of institutions<br />
and a general perception and appreciation of what Croatia means to<br />
them.<br />
3. The third part contains questions aimed at assessing the degree of organization<br />
and influence of the Croatian community on local, national and regional levels<br />
as well as their appreciation of the links between the diaspora and the country<br />
of origin.<br />
4. The last question is an invitation to leave comments, suggestions, criticism and<br />
to expand on any subject of interest to the respondent.<br />
The study population is made up of Croatian migrants from the Dubrovnik region<br />
and their descendants born or settled in South America. Due to the lack of accurate statistical<br />
data regarding Croatian migrants in South America, the characteristics of the investigated<br />
population could not be established with certainty in order to take a representative<br />
sample. For this reason, the results cannot be extrapolated to establish general<br />
conclusions about the population. However, this does not diminish the usefulness<br />
of the empirical research because, under these conditions, the survey represents in itself<br />
an advance in terms of data collection in order to describe the population more<br />
appropriately. The primary source of data collection is combined with historical sources<br />
in order to reconstruct the causes and consequences of the migratory process and<br />
to identify diachronic influences or diachronic tendencies and far-reaching interpretative<br />
frameworks in the definitions of identity belonging to the studied population.<br />
3. MIGRATORY PROCESSES IN SOUTH AMERICA: DIASPORIC<br />
IDENTITIES AND FAR-REACHING INTERPRETATIVE FRAMEWORKS<br />
Returning to the approaches developed in the previous section, identity can be defined<br />
as “a subjective (and often self-reflective) process by which subjects define their difference<br />
from other subjects (and their social environment) by self-assigning a repertoire<br />
of cultural attributes frequently valorized and relatively stable over time. Therefore, the<br />
identity contains elements of the ‘socially shared‘, resulting from belonging to groups<br />
and other collectives, and the ‘individually unique’. The collective elements emphasise<br />
the similarities, while the individual emphasises the difference, but both are closely related<br />
to constitute the unique, though multidimensional, identity of the individual subject”<br />
(Giménez, 2007, pp. 61-62). On the other hand, when articulating the problem of<br />
identity in relation to the migratory experience, it is useful to consider the concept of<br />
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diasporic identities as networks of transnational identifications, both local and global,<br />
that encompass imaginary and found communities (Brah, 2011).<br />
Historically, migration processes have been studied in response to a series of various<br />
factors (social, economic, political and cultural) that have occurred both in the<br />
countries of origin and arrival and that have been named push-pull factors (Lewis,<br />
1982). In this sense, it does not hurt to contextualize the phenomenon of migration to<br />
South America.<br />
Although population displacement is inherent in the existence of humanity, the<br />
global economic transformations that took place at the end of the eighteenth century<br />
gave it great impulse. The Industrial Revolution with its epicenter in England and the<br />
concomitant process of modernization increased the migratory processes to the American<br />
continent, especially in those countries that experienced a strong economic takeoff<br />
and a modernizing transformation. As a part of the modernization process, and in<br />
line with the international division of labor, in the mid nineteenth century the South<br />
American ruling elite promoted the development of migration policies aimed at incorporating<br />
a large workforce into production. As a result of these policies, the migratory<br />
flow between Europe and South America increased between the late eighteenth and<br />
mid twentieth century and can be divided into three stages: early migrations (until<br />
1880), massive migrations (from 1880 to 1930) and contemporary migrations (Devoto,<br />
2003). These stages are related to the migratory process generated from the Dalmatian<br />
region. Early migration (until 1890) was sporadic and consisted of mainly seafarers who<br />
were stimulated by the dream of becoming rich in the New World. In turn, the period<br />
of mass migration (1890—1930) can be subdivided into two periods: 1890—1914 and<br />
1914—1930. After the First World War, the United States restricted its migration policy,<br />
and as a consequence migration to South America increased in the 1920s.<br />
In a recent study, the population and economic, social, political-organizational and<br />
historical characteristics of the Dalmatian region were described in detail, including the<br />
causes and particularities of the Dubrovnik region migration and the established colonies<br />
in Peru, Chile and Argentina (PeriÊ Kaselj & VukiÊ, <strong>2018</strong>). All of the aforementioned<br />
has provided a valuable background for this investigation, which is why its most<br />
important postulates are revised and summarized in the following paragraphs.<br />
The region of Dalmatia was integrated into the Austrian part of the Austro-Hungarian<br />
Empire (1867—1918) and was very sparsely populated in relation to the other regions<br />
of Austria. Its isolation and weak contact with the interior was one of the causes<br />
of its unfavorable economic development. Only one-fifth of the territory was cultivated,<br />
while the rest of the land was mostly infertile. Between 1900 and 1910, the Dubrovnik<br />
region showed the lowest population increase in the entire region, as a result<br />
of the migration to South America. In the middle of the nineteenth century, 90% of the<br />
Dalmatian population was peasants, and the land was owned by those who did not<br />
work it.<br />
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The emigration process began in the coastal areas and the islands, where the population<br />
had a long maritime tradition and greater openness to the world. The causes of<br />
migration were both economic and political-military factors: overpopulation of the islands,<br />
a viticulture crisis due to phylloxera fever and the “wine clause”, peasant indebtedness,<br />
limited agrarian production, stagnation of maritime activity and long-term compulsory<br />
military service. As a direct consequence of the migratory process, there was a<br />
period of stability, modern construction and capital accumulation in the Dalmatian regions<br />
with a high percentage of migration, including Dubrovnik. On the other hand,<br />
poverty, illiteracy and over-indebtedness reigned in the regions not affected by migration;<br />
the Austro-Hungarian monarchy did not have a clear migration policy, special<br />
laws or official statistics on the subject.<br />
Dubrovnikans were the first Croatians to migrate to South America. The period<br />
from the end of the nineteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century saw<br />
the largest number of migrations of Dubrovnikans to South America. They mainly migrated<br />
to Peru, Chile and Argentina (PeriÊ Kaselj & VukiÊ, <strong>2018</strong>; »izmiÊ, Sopta & ©akiÊ,<br />
2005; AntiÊ, 1992, 1991).<br />
Peru was the first country in South America where Dubrovnikans migrated and<br />
created their own colonies. Apart from a few influential merchants, the first Dubrovnik<br />
migrants were mainly sailors. Dubrovnikans were pioneers of the Peruvian navigation.<br />
Many sailors settled in the port of Callao and became wealthy by the transportation of<br />
guano, a fertilizer made from bird droppings. In 1914, there were about fifty Croatians<br />
in Callao, and they were engaged in commerce and industry. In addition to Callao, at<br />
the end of the nineteenth century, a smaller group of Croatian emigrants lived in Lima,<br />
and then a larger group settled in the mining city Cerro de Pasco, which was the focal<br />
point of Dubrovnik migration for almost a century. There was also a small colony of<br />
Croatian emigrants in Huaraz, where two Dubrovnikans had silver mines and in 1871<br />
started founding various types of societies and organizations that helped develop a national<br />
consciousness among the migrants. Before the First War World, 1,000 Croatians<br />
were settled in Peru; the largest number had migrated from the Dubrovnik region from<br />
1850 to 1875 and from 1900 to 1914. At that time, there were already many Croatians,<br />
mainly Dubrovnikans, who had become wealthy, affirmed, famous and successful in<br />
the world of commerce, trade, industry and mining, to name a few.<br />
In Chile, liberalism in sociopolitical and economic life was an important factor of<br />
attraction. Colonies of Croatian emigrants were founded mainly in the southern areas<br />
(Magallanes), in northern parts of the country (the provinces of Tarapaca and Antofagasta),<br />
and a small number were established in the central part of Chile, in Santiago<br />
and Valparaíso. Croatians began to arrive to the Magallanes region in large numbers<br />
around 1870 and mainly in 1890, attracted by the desire for gold (gold fever). After the<br />
gold rush, around 1893 and 1894, some began to go to the northern part of Chile, to<br />
Buenos Aires, and some returned to Europe. Half of the migrants settled in the area of<br />
Magallanes, thus giving birth to the first colonies in Punta Arenas and Porvenir, where<br />
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they created numerous cultural institutions. In the south, the Dubrovnikans excelled in<br />
maritime activities, such as sailing and fishing. In the north, they dedicated themselves<br />
to mining potassium nitrate, known as saltpeter — In 1912, sixty-eight manufacturing<br />
companies were owned by Croatians. The largest number of Croatians in northern<br />
Chile settled in the Antofagasta Province, more specifically, in its capital holding the<br />
same name, which was the most organized colony of Croatian emigrants. Dubrovnikans<br />
were also part of association activities as founders or members of various migrant<br />
societies, and there are indications about the development of the Croatian national consciousness<br />
in Chile at the beginning of the twentieth century. Just before the First World<br />
War in the Antofagasta area, there were about 5,000 Croats, mostly from BraË and Dubrovnik.<br />
Mass immigration to Argentina began in the mid nineteenth century and was in<br />
crescendo until 1930. Croats settled mainly in the city of Buenos Aires and in the surrounding<br />
towns of the Buenos Aires Province where agriculture was the main source<br />
of livelihood. These farmers or “chacareros” were also established in the northeastern<br />
province of Santa Fe. The first emigrant colony was established in the town of Baradero<br />
and was founded by Croatian farmers, natives of Dalmatia, mainly from Hvar island.<br />
When they adapted to their new way of life, a group of farmers moved to the area<br />
of Ramallo where they stayed for several years. Later, they moved north and rented<br />
fields in the vicinity of Villa Constitución, where many emigrants from Boka Kotorska<br />
and Dubrovnik were already living. A smaller number of immigrants settled near Pavón<br />
Arriba, working mainly as tenants, while a smaller number of landowners settled in<br />
Los Molinos (in 1905) and Arequito. The largest and most significant colony of Croatian<br />
emigrants settled in the city of Buenos Aires — the point of arrival to the country<br />
and point of departure to other locations in Argentina and to other countries in South<br />
America. A part of the migrants remained in Buenos Aires and its surroundings. The<br />
largest number of Croatians arrived during the mass emigration in the late nineteenth<br />
century to the neighborhoods of La Boca and Dock Sud. In 1888, there were around<br />
3,000 Croatians in Buenos Aires, mostly Dalmatians. Migrants living in La Boca were<br />
professionally engaged in maritime affairs and came mostly from the region of Dubrovnik<br />
and Boka Kotorska. It is in this area that the development of the Croatian migrant<br />
community is associated with the Mihanovic brothers who were economically very<br />
powerful industrial entrepreneurs. In addition to the occupations mentioned, there was<br />
also a significant number of merchants and a small number of construction workers.<br />
4. CONTEMPORARY ASPECTS OF CROATIAN IDENTITY IN<br />
SOUTH AMERICA: DATA ANALYSIS RESULTS<br />
In this section, the main research results will be presented. The demographic characteristics<br />
of the respondents were people between the ages of 17 and 75, with a concentration<br />
of responses (65%) among middle-aged people aged between 36 and 69.<br />
Women represent 63% of the group. Regarding country of birth, there is a clear major-<br />
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ity of respondents born and residing in Argentina, Peru and Chile (37%, 27.8% and 13%<br />
of the total respectively), although Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela are also<br />
present, along with some other countries. It is interesting to note that in the case of<br />
Argentina and Chile the percentage of respondents born and residing in their country<br />
of birth remains almost invariable. While in the case of Peru, only 90% of respondents<br />
born in Peru remain living there, which means 10% migrated possibly to the USA or<br />
the Netherlands.<br />
When looking at marital status, we can say that almost half of the respondents<br />
were married, 20% declared to be single, almost 15% were divorced and a little more<br />
than 10% widowed. On the other hand, almost 20% of the respondents completed postgraduate<br />
studies, 40% have a university degree and just over 20% completed tertiary<br />
studies. Likewise, five out of ten people surveyed were permanently employed, two<br />
were retired, and one was self-employed — no one was unemployed. 60% of the students<br />
were studying at university, while the remaining 40% were equally allocated between<br />
tertiary and postgraduate studies.<br />
When looking at the family kinship between the respondents and the first Dubrovnikans<br />
who left their town, we were able to analyze to which generation of Croatian<br />
migrants the respondents belong — slightly less than half are third-generation migrants<br />
(grandchildren of migrants), 24% belong to the second generation (children of migrants),<br />
26% belong to the fourth generation (great-grandchildren of migrants), and almost<br />
4% are fifth-generation migrants (great-great-grandchildren of migrants). Only 2%<br />
of the respondents were born in Croatia. This information is very valuable when thinking<br />
about the existence, form, characteristics, preservation and possibility of a Croatian<br />
identity in South America.<br />
On the other hand, this information is also related to the mentioned age groups<br />
of the respondents and to the migratory periods their ancestors participated in. If migration<br />
periods are established according to what historical sources tell us, we were<br />
able to conclude the following information: slightly less than half of the ancestors of<br />
the persons respondents arrived to South America during the period of mass migration<br />
(1880—1930), almost 25% did so between 1880 and 1914, and just over one-third between<br />
1915 and 1930. A worrying fact is that three out of ten people do not know when<br />
their relatives arrived to South America.<br />
With the majority being second-, third- and fourth- generation migrants, it is not<br />
surprising that only 10% of respondents declared they spoke Croatian, almost half of<br />
them do not speak Croatian at all, a quarter of them speak a little, and almost 15% are<br />
studying the language. Three quarters of the respondents, however, said that the Croatian<br />
language is important in preserving the Croatian identity. 7% of the respondents<br />
do not share this belief, while 18% held that the language was “a little” important for<br />
the preservation of the Croatian identity. This topic gains importance from two perspectives.<br />
On the one hand, the need to have more possibilities of learning Croatian (either<br />
through scholarships, teachers, exchanges, online classes, etc.) appeared as a recurrent<br />
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theme in the respondents’ answers to the two open questions incorporated in the questionnaire.<br />
It should be mentioned that the question regarding the relationship between<br />
language and identity is being addressed among social science scholars, as well as<br />
among young Croatian and Latin American researchers at scientific and professional<br />
meetings. On the other hand, the possibility of preserving their Croatian identity in and<br />
through the Spanish language is also a relevant topic for the members of the organizations<br />
of the Croatian diaspora in South America.<br />
A comparative analysis on the relationship between citizenship as a legal statute<br />
and nationality as a self-ascription, self-definition or sense of identity allows us to conclude<br />
that although only three out of ten respondents had dual citizenship (of the country<br />
of birth and Croatian), almost nine out of ten people experienced certain aspects of<br />
double identity-nationality: feeling like a “Croatian national and a national of a South<br />
American country” (15%), feeling like a “national of a South American country and of<br />
Croatia” (28%) and feeling like a “national of a South American country with Croatian<br />
roots” (46%). There is room for future research that can cover this topic in more detail<br />
with the aim of recovering the voice of the actor in order to discover the true meaning<br />
of these subtle differences in his/her definition of nationality and identity.<br />
When asked about religious affiliation, the vast majority of respondents declared<br />
themselves as believers (46% non-practicing and 39% practicing). Almost all of these<br />
believers belong to the Roman Catholic religion (86.7%). From this identification with<br />
the Roman Catholic Church, it was interesting to note that half of the respondents<br />
claimed religion did not influence their Croatian ethnicity/nationality, 13% said that it<br />
had very little influence, 16.7% stated that it did influence their feeling of nationality,<br />
and almost 15% stated that there was no religious aspect linked to their Croatian identity<br />
in the Church.<br />
When looking at the Dubrovnikan descendants’ participation in various community<br />
organizations and institutions in their localities, cities and countries of residence,<br />
two-thirds of the respondents declared they were not a member of any Croatian migrant<br />
associations. If you compare this “real” or “physical” participation with participation<br />
in Croatian virtual communities on social networks, we can see that the relationship<br />
is reversed: 74% said they were part of one or more of these virtual communities,<br />
compared to 26% who did not participate in them. We should take into consideration<br />
that this result may have been induced by the fact that being a member of an online<br />
virtual association increased the respondents’ chances of receiving the questionnaire<br />
we are analyzing. Indeed, this result can be further explained by considering the respondents’<br />
perception and degree of satisfaction with the organization and influence<br />
of the Croatian community on local, national and regional levels as well as their appreciation<br />
of the connection between the diaspora and country of origin.<br />
37% said that the Croatian community in their city of residence was well organized,<br />
while 26% said it was not, and the remaining 37% was evenly divided between<br />
those who considered the organization of the Croatian community to be minimal and<br />
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not well-known and those who did not know. In response to the question on the degree<br />
of influence that Croatian community has in the country of residence, only 11%<br />
thought it was influential, 28% thought it was not, 37% thought it was minorly present,<br />
and 24% stated they did not know the degree of influence of the Croatian community.<br />
Finally, 40% of respondents said they did not know if the Croatian community in their<br />
country of residence was known to Croatian institutions in Croatia, 26% said they were<br />
known, 28% considered this knowledge as scarce, and only 5% said they believed the<br />
community was not known.<br />
To conclude, we would like to present the results about how informed the respondents<br />
were about what is happening in Croatia: 45% stated that they followed the news,<br />
45% said they did occasionally, and 10% were not informed. Those who keep up with<br />
the news said their main mode of finding out information was social networks. When<br />
evaluating the current relations between Croatia and the respondents’ local community,<br />
we saw that it was evenly distributed between those who evaluated the relationship<br />
as positive, 33.3% altogether (26% answered “good” and 7.3% “very good”), those who<br />
said it was “normal” (3.7%), those who answered “bad” (27.8%), and those who said<br />
they did not know (32.5%). The two most identified Croatian institutions that contribute<br />
to the development of the communities in the country of residence were the Croatian<br />
Heritage Foundation and the Central Office for Croats Abroad.<br />
5. CONCLUSIONS<br />
The dynamics of Croatian migration in South America presents certain characteristics<br />
that affected the type of identity formed among the migrants. In the countries of Chile<br />
and Peru where the colonies were small, compact and homogeneous, migrants were<br />
mostly of the same regional and even local origin. In Argentina, on the other hand, the<br />
migrants settled dispersedly in localities separated from each other due to the economic<br />
structure of the agricultural country and due to the nature of the work carried out<br />
by the migrants. Although there were migrant groups and colonies with the same regional<br />
and local origins (Hvar, BraË, Dubrovnik), there were also a significant number<br />
of emigrants coming from other parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.<br />
The Croatian emigrants in Chile and Argentina were oriented towards their small<br />
group and lived and worked within a restricted area, thus building a local identity. This<br />
identity did not only depend on their ethnicity or on the characteristics of their place<br />
of origin, it also depended on the characteristics of their place of settlement in the receiving<br />
country (for example, La Boca is a neighborhood port containing immigrant<br />
workers). In addition, their identity was (re) created along with other types of identities,<br />
such as professional or class identities. These identity determinants must be put in<br />
relation to other phenomena, such as compatriot support and assistance, which was<br />
very important to newcomers as well as the existence of social networks.<br />
However, these historical characteristics are not currently completely reflected in<br />
the contemporary brands of identity. At first, the strong process of assimilation Croa-<br />
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M. F. Luchetti, M. PeriÊ Kaselj, N. K. Levak: Dubrovnikans in South America...<br />
tian migrants underwent resulted in an identity whose primary elements appear blurred<br />
in favor of identity homogenization. It is not easy to distinguish specific identity markers<br />
of descendants from Dubrovnik emigrants or dimensions related to the migrants’<br />
region of origin. In addition, although only 30% of respondents said that their ancestors<br />
defined themselves as Croatians (and 10% as Dalmatian), there are no links in this<br />
research with migrants belonging to other countries of the former Austro-Hungarian<br />
Empire or of Yugoslavia.<br />
The contemporary definitions of Croatian identity seem to be related more to new<br />
virtual social networks, than to the historical dimensions analyzed. The virtual Croatian<br />
communities on the Internet seem to be generating a new space of sociability — socialization<br />
that affects the development of new narratives about Croatian identity.<br />
References<br />
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Sociology of Knowledge. Harmondsworth: Penguin.<br />
Brah, A. (2011). Cartografías de la diáspora. Identidades en cuestión. Madrid: Traficantes de sueños.<br />
»izmiÊ I., Sopta M. & ©akiÊ, V. (2005). Hrvati u Juænoj Americi. In I. »izmiÊ, M. Sopta & V. ©akiÊ<br />
(Ed.) Iseljena Hrvatska. Zagreb: Golden marketing-TehniËka knjiga, 159-192.<br />
Devoto, F. (2003). Historia de la inmigración en la Argentina. Buenos Aires: Sudamericana.<br />
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(VII: 21), 519-545.<br />
Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and Self-identify. Self and Society in the Late Modern Age.<br />
Cambridge: Polity Press.<br />
Giménez, G. (2007). Estudios sobre la cultura y las identidades sociales. México: Consejo Nacional<br />
para la Cultura y las Artes / Instituto Coahuilense de Cultura.<br />
Jenkins, R. (1996). Social Identity. London: Routledge.<br />
Lewis, G. J. (1982). Human Migration. New York: St. Marin's Press Inc.<br />
Mercado M. A. & Hernández O.A. (2010). “El proceso de construcción de la identidad colectiva”.<br />
Convergencia, Revista de Ciencias Sociales (53), 229-251.<br />
PeriÊ Kaselj, M. & VukiÊ, A. (<strong>2018</strong>). DubrovËani u Juænoj Americi: iseljavanje, utjecaji, identiteti.<br />
Dijasporski i nationalno-manjinski identiteti: migracije, kultura, granice, dræave. Zagreb: IMIN,<br />
97-132.<br />
Urresti, M. (2008). Nuevos procesos culturales, subjetividades adolescentes emergentes y<br />
experiencia escolar. In E. Tenti Fanfani (Ed.), Nuevos temas en la agenda de la política<br />
educativa (pp. 101-124). Buenos Aires: Siglo XXI.<br />
Vera, J. A. & Valenzuela, M.J.E. (2012). El concepto de identidad como recurso para el estudio de<br />
transiciones. Psicologia & Sociedade; 24 (2), 272-282.<br />
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Damir MAGA©<br />
KARST FIELDS (POLJA) OF DUGI OTOK,<br />
CROATIA, ON TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS<br />
(1:25,000)<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
Dugi otok (Long Island) is the seventh largest Croatian island according to its surface<br />
area, but only the sixteenth according to its population (2011). It belongs to the fragmented<br />
North Dalmatian islands in the Zadar County in the Croatian part of the Adriatic.<br />
In 1993, Dugi otok formed a separate municipality with neighbouring islands and<br />
islets (Zverinac, Lavdara, Katina etc.). It covers 113.31 square kilometers (118.90 square<br />
kilometers with its associated islets). Its name is descriptive, as it is 44.5 kilometers long<br />
and only 1.3 to 4.8 kilometers wide at its narrowest and broadest points. The coastline<br />
is 182.11 kilometers long (Magaπ, 1993, Leder DuplanËiÊ, 2004). The highest peak is<br />
Vela Straæa (327 meters). According to the 2011 Census, the population stood at 1,655<br />
people, while the highest measured population number was 4,670 people, recorded in<br />
1948. The prevailing carbonate relief has many karst forms (caves, pits, abysses, cliffs,<br />
rocks, karst fields, creeks, etc.). Although they cover only a small area, the karst fields<br />
are an important geomorphological phenomenon in the karst relief of Dugi otok and<br />
have played a central role in the lives and the survival of the islanders since ancient<br />
times.<br />
This article discusses the Dugi otok karst fields (polja) as depicted on two topographic<br />
maps in a scale of 1:25,000. The first topographic map is from the Third Military<br />
Survey (1869-1887) (1:25,000) created during the Austro-Hungarian Empire (URL1).<br />
It is referred to in this article as the “old map”. The second map is from the State Geodetic<br />
Administration’s Topographic Map 1:25,000 (Topografska karta, Dræavna geodetska<br />
uprava), available now in electronic form (URL 2; preglednik.arkod.hr.). It is referred<br />
to as the “new map”. Other topographic maps in various scales and editions<br />
(1:50,000, 1:100.000, etc.) were not considered in this paper because their content regarding<br />
the karst fields on Dugi otok is negligible.<br />
In geographical and geomorphological (karstological) literature, the term polje<br />
comes from the Croatian (also Slovenian and Serbian) word for a field, so karst polje<br />
means karst field or field in the karst. It is a flat plain in limestone or a flat-bottomed<br />
area in a closed limestone basin. The floor of a karst polje is mostly soil, with thick<br />
sediments of terra rossa and other types of pedological covers.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Figure 1 Dugi otok (URL 1) and its karst fields: 1) Velarsko polje, 2) Polje, 3) Boæavsko polje, 4) DumboviËko<br />
polje, 5) Dragovsko polje, 7) Brbinjsko polje, 8) Luπko polje, 9) DoËiÊ (Polje), 10) Krajno polje, 11) Sridnje<br />
polje, 12) GlavoËevo polje, 13) Slotino polje, 14) Æmansko polje, 15) Malo jezero, 16) Velo jezero,<br />
17) Saljsko polje, 18) Dugo polje, 19) Arnjevo polje, 20) Stivanje polje, 21) Gmajno polje, 22) Poljice,<br />
23) LojiπÊe, 24) Krπevo polje, 26) »uh polje, 26) Dugonjive, 27) Tatinje (polje)<br />
There are usually water resources in karst fields (watercourses, springs, ponds,<br />
lakes); some are flooded, and others have complex surfaces or underground hydrogeology<br />
(exsurgences, estavellas or sinkholes, i.e. ponori).<br />
This topic has not been dealt with in previous geographical and geomorphological<br />
pieces of research. A few published papers have considered the general geographical<br />
features of Dugi otok (Magaπ, 1993), its geomorphological characteristics (Poljak,<br />
1930, Dæaja, 2003, LonËar, 2009), speleological characteristics (Malez, 1953, Magaπ, SuriÊ,<br />
1998) and littoralization processes connected with demographical indicators (»uka,<br />
2006). Some karst fields on Dugi otok are mentioned only in passing.<br />
DUGI OTOK KARST FIELDS ON TWO TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS<br />
This work analyzed twenty-seven karst fields (polja or poljice — small fields) on Dugi<br />
otok, predominantly in the southern, wider part of the island. The total surface area of<br />
all the fields does not exceed 1.5 square kilometres. DumboviËko polje between Dragove<br />
and Boæava, Luπko polje in Luka and Tatinje polje southeast of Sali are the smallest<br />
fields, each with a surface area of less than 10,000 square meters. The largest fields<br />
are Saljsko polje (around 200,000 square meters, and Dugo polje and Krπevo polje<br />
(over 150,000 square meters each). It is debatable whether all the mentioned locations<br />
are actually karst fields, as some of them, especially the smaller ones, are merely large,<br />
342
D. Magaπ: Karst Fields (Polja) of Dugi Otok, Croatia, on Topographic Maps...<br />
Table 1 Karst fields according to settlements and contents on the old topographic map (Third Military Survey)<br />
Settlement Karst field C o n t e n t s o n m a p<br />
Named<br />
polje<br />
Unnamed<br />
polje<br />
Named<br />
pond<br />
Unnamed<br />
pond<br />
Named<br />
well<br />
Unnamed<br />
well<br />
Lake<br />
Stream<br />
Spring<br />
Cistern<br />
Veli Rat (Velarsko) Polje — + — + — — — — — —<br />
“ Polje — + — + Brunnen — — — — —<br />
Boæava (Boæavsko) Polje Carino — Lokva Br. —<br />
Boæava DumboviËko — + — — — — — — — —<br />
(Dumbovica) polje<br />
Dragove (Dragovsko) Polje — + — — — — — — — +<br />
Brbinj (Brbinjsko) Polje — + — — . + — — — +<br />
Savar Malo polje — + — — — — — — — ++<br />
Luka Luπko polje — + — — — — — — — —<br />
“ DoËiÊ DoËiÊ polje — — — — — — — — —<br />
“ Krajno polje Polje — — — — — — — — —<br />
Æman Sridnje polje Srednja polje — — — — — — — — —<br />
“ GlavoËevo polje Glovoceva polje — — — — — — — — —<br />
“ Slotino polje Slotino polje — — + — — — — — —<br />
“ (Æmansko) Polje — + + — + — — — +<br />
““ Velo jezero Vk. jezero Zeitveise Qu.<br />
versumpft<br />
“ Malo jezero Ml. jezero + Zeitveise<br />
versumpft<br />
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Settlement Karst field C o n t e n t s o n m a p<br />
Named<br />
polje<br />
Unnamed<br />
polje<br />
Named<br />
pond<br />
Unnamed<br />
pond<br />
Named<br />
well<br />
Unnamed<br />
well<br />
Lake<br />
Stream<br />
Spring<br />
Cistern<br />
Sali Saljsko polje Salsko polje — — — — — — — — +<br />
“ Dugo polje Dugava polje — Lokva — — — — — — —“<br />
Arnjevo polje Arnjovo polje — — — — — — — — —<br />
“ Stivanje polje — + Lokva — — — — — — —<br />
“ Gmajno polje Gmajno polje — — — — — — — — —<br />
“ Poljice Poljice — — — — — — — — —<br />
“ LojiπÊe LoiπÊe — Lokva — — — — — — —<br />
“ K(r)uπevo polje Kruπevo polje — Lokva — — — — — — —<br />
Lokva<br />
“ »uh polje »uh polje — — — — — — — — —<br />
“ Dugonjive Dugonjiva polje — — — — — — — — —<br />
“ Tatinje polje Tatinje polje — — — — — — — — —<br />
18 9 6 5 1(+1) 2 (2) 0 1 6<br />
344
D. Magaπ: Karst Fields (Polja) of Dugi Otok, Croatia, on Topographic Maps...<br />
Table 2 Karst fields by settlements and contents on the new topographic map (DGU, Croatia)<br />
Settlement Karst field C o n t e n t s o n m a p<br />
Named<br />
polje<br />
Unnamed<br />
polje<br />
Named<br />
pond<br />
Unnamed<br />
pond<br />
Named<br />
well<br />
Unnamed<br />
well<br />
Lake<br />
Stream<br />
Spring<br />
Cistern<br />
Veli Rat (Velarsko) polje — + — + — + — — — —<br />
“ Polje + — + — + — + — —<br />
Boæava (Boæavsko)<br />
Polje Polje — Arvanj — ©ipnata — — — — —<br />
Boæava DumboviËko DuboviËko polje — — — — — — — — —<br />
(Dumbovica) polje<br />
Dragove (Dragovsko) polje Polje — — + — — — — — —<br />
Brbinj (Brbinjsko) polje — + — — — — — — — + with tap<br />
Savar Malo polje Malo polje — St(ari) Vrnj; — — — — — — —<br />
Volujak<br />
Luka Luπko polje — + — + — — — — — —<br />
“ DoËiÊ DoËiÊ — — — — — — — — —<br />
“ Krajno polje Krajno polje — — — — — — — — —<br />
Æman Sridnje polje Sridnje polje — — — — — — — — —<br />
“ GlavoËevo polje GlavoËevo polje — — + — — — — — —<br />
“ Slotino polje Slotino polje — — + — — — — — —<br />
“ (Æmansko) polje + — + — + — — — 2 with taps<br />
“ Velo jezero Velo. jezero — — — — ++ — — — —<br />
“ Malo jezero Malo jezero — — — — ++ — — — —<br />
345
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Settlement Karst field C o n t e n t s o n m a p<br />
Named<br />
polje<br />
Unnamed<br />
polje<br />
Named<br />
pond<br />
Unnamed<br />
pond<br />
Named<br />
well<br />
Unnamed<br />
well<br />
Lake<br />
Stream<br />
Spring<br />
Cistern<br />
Sali Saljsko polje + — + — — — — — —<br />
““ Dugo polje Dugo polje — — + — — — — — —“<br />
Arnjevo polje Stivanje polje (Err.) — — — — — — — — —<br />
“ Stivanje polje Stivanje polje — — + — — — — — + with tap<br />
“ Gmajno polje Gmajno polje — — — — ++ — — — —<br />
“ Poljice Poljice — — — — — — — — —<br />
“ LojiπÊe — + — — — — — — — + with tap<br />
“ K(r)uπevo polje Kruπevo polje — — + — — — — — + with tap<br />
“ »uh polje »uh polje — — — — + — — — —<br />
“ Dugonjive Dugonjive — — — — — — — — —<br />
“ Tatinje polje — + — — — — — — — —<br />
“ 19 (1 Err) 8 3 11 1 10 0 (2) 1 0 6<br />
346
D. Magaπ: Karst Fields (Polja) of Dugi Otok, Croatia, on Topographic Maps...<br />
Figure 2 Saljsko polje, the largest field on Dugi otok,<br />
named on the old map and not on the new map<br />
indistinct sinkholes or widenings in the karst (for example, Tatinje polje, DumboviËko<br />
polje, Luπko polje). They have all been included because the local population calls<br />
them polje or police, or because they appear with these names on one or both maps.<br />
In the past, these locations had economic significance since their fertile soils were cultivated,<br />
regardless of whether they were close to settlements. Although abandoned today,<br />
they are potential locations for future agrarian production.<br />
In order to show the field-related content of the two topographic maps and their<br />
differences as simply as possible, two tables are given. They show the names of the<br />
settlements with the respective karst fields, their actual names, names on the maps and<br />
content such as ponds, wells and cisterns shown on the maps.<br />
An analysis of how the Dugi otok karst fields are shown on the topographic maps<br />
reveals the following: when comparing the marked objects in the fields, the content is<br />
nearly the same on both maps. The number of fields and the various phenomena and<br />
objects shown in them do not diverge much. Generally, the content on both maps is<br />
rather poor. The fields were named eighteen times on the old map and nineteen times<br />
on the new one (once with an obvious error). Unnamed fields appear nine times on<br />
the old map and eight times on the new one. Saljsko polje, one of the largest fields,<br />
was not named on the new map.<br />
The name of one of the smallest fields, DumboviËko polje, appears with a small<br />
error on the new map as DuboviËko polje. The old map also has several incorrectly<br />
printed field names, probably as a result of the German editing at that time (Srednja<br />
polje instead of Sridnje polje, Glovoceva polje instead of GlavoËevo polje, LoiπÊe instead<br />
of LojiπÊe, Dugava polje instead of Dugo polje). The most notable mistake on the<br />
new map is the incorrect naming of Arnjevo polje; it appears as Stivanje polje, which<br />
is the name of the adjacent field, correctly named on both maps. This mistake is puzzling,<br />
since Arnjevo polje is correctly named on the old map, although in its older form<br />
Arnjovo polje. There are two small fields near Veli Rat village, neither of which are<br />
347
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Figure 3 Arnjevo (Arnjovo) polje and Stivanje polje on both maps,<br />
with an error on the new map<br />
named on the maps. But Veli Rat’s southeast hamlet, Polje, was named after the fertile<br />
field and appears on both maps.<br />
Ponds are marked eleven times on the old map, six times using the common Croatian<br />
name Lokva (Pond) and five times using only a topographic sign; the ponds are<br />
slightly better illustrated on the new map. Although only three names are given, they<br />
are very old, original and specific (Arvanj, Stari Vrnj, Volujak), and eleven ponds are<br />
marked with topographical markings. The obvious connection with water has survived<br />
in the ancient names of Arvanj and Vrnj (the River Arno in Italy, Arnjevo polje on Dugi<br />
otok, VrnjaËka Banja in Serbia, etc. See Filipi, 1984).<br />
Wells are shown only four times on the old map: in Polje, southeast of Veli Rat,<br />
with the German common noun Brunnen (Well), in Boæavsko polje using the abbreviation<br />
(Br.) and twice by topographic markings in Malo and Velo jezero near Æman. On<br />
the new map, wells in the fields are better portrayed and appear eleven times, but only<br />
one well is named — ©ipnata in Boæavsko polje. ©ipnata is also a very old name and<br />
it comes from the Antient Greek word siphon: σίφων, meaning “pipe, tube of water”.<br />
Lakes in the fields are not shown on either map. However, the names of two fields<br />
in the Æman area, Velo jezero (Great Lake) and Malo jezero (Little Lake) show that they<br />
are periodically filled with water. On the old map, the German words Zeitveise versumpft<br />
(periodically flooded) appear, indicating that these fields were occasionally inundated<br />
(mostly in the winter). In recent times (since the 1980s for Malo jezero and<br />
since 2000 for Velo jezero), their water has been diverted to the water supply system<br />
of the southern part of Dugi otok, so flooding has been practically eliminated.<br />
There are almost no watercourses in the Dugi otok karst fields. The only stream<br />
shown on the map appears in Polje, southeast of Veli Rat, near the Polje hamlet. It<br />
flows southwest-northeast and ends at the mouth of the stream in the area of Sakarun<br />
Bay (Blato Pool). It is marked only on the new map.<br />
348
D. Magaπ: Karst Fields (Polja) of Dugi Otok, Croatia, on Topographic Maps...<br />
Only one spring is pinpointed with a topographic mark on the old map, located<br />
on the northern side of the Malo jezero field and labelled with the German abbreviation<br />
Qu. (Quelle).<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
An examination of two maps that include the karst fields on Dugi otok in the Zadar<br />
County shows that along with the usual relief features (contour lines, altitude markers,<br />
etc.) specific contents are also displayed. The names of the karst fields, the water phenomena<br />
in them and other contents are mostly appropriately depicted. Still, there are<br />
several mistakes on both maps. On the old map, the mistakes are mostly the result of<br />
misreading the Croatian names by the editors in Vienna. On the new map, some typographical<br />
errors and omissions are not acceptable and should be corrected in the next<br />
edition of the map.<br />
References<br />
»uka, A. (2006). The Influence of Littoralization on the Demographic Development of Dugi Otok<br />
Island. Geoadria 11/1, 63-92.<br />
DuplanËiÊ Leder, T., UjeviÊ, T., »ala M. (2004). Coastline Lengths and Areas of Islands in the<br />
Croatian Part of the Adriatic Sea Determined from Topographic Maps at the Scale of 1:25 000.<br />
Geoadria 9/1, 5-32.<br />
Dæaja, K. (2003). Geomorfoloπke znaËajke Dugog otoka. Geoadria 8/2, 5-44.<br />
Filipi, A. R. (1984). Hidronimija zadarskih otoka. Onomastica jugoslavica 11, 111-154.<br />
LonËar, N. (2009) Geomorphological Characteristics of Dugi Otok. Eurocity: Travel Review of<br />
Croatian Railways, 62, 23-26.<br />
Magaπ, D. (1993). Zemljopisnopovijesna obiljeæja Dugog otoka. <strong>Zbornik</strong> Dugi otok (Zadarska<br />
smotra) 1-2, 11-44.<br />
Magaπ, D. (1998). “TelaπÊica” Nature Park on Dugi Otok (Croatia) — Some Aspects of<br />
Environmental Planning. Geoadria 3, 83-91.<br />
Magaπ, D., SuriÊ, M. (1998). Contribution to Knowledge of the Speleological Features of Dugi Otok<br />
Island. Spelaeologia Croatica 6, 9-15.<br />
Malez, M. (1953). Straπna peÊ na Dugom otoku. Naπe planine 10-12, 309-315.<br />
Poljak, J. (1930). Geomorfologija otoka Dugog. Prirodoslovna istraæivanja Kraljevine Jugoslavije.<br />
JAZU, Vol. 16, Zagreb, 5-32.<br />
URL 1: Habsburg Empire (1869—1887) — Third Military Survey (1869—1887) (1:25.000) Available<br />
at: http://mapire.eu/en/map/thirdsurvey25000<br />
URL 2: Topografska karta 1:25.000 DGU. Available at: preglednik.arkod.hr.<br />
349
Kata MAGA©<br />
THE CROATIAN ISLANDS IN<br />
THE EDUCATION SYSTEM OF<br />
THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
The Croatian islands cover the second largest archipelago in the Mediterranean. Recent<br />
data lists 1,246 units (79 islands, 525 islets and 642 rocks and reefs). The islands cover<br />
an area of 3,259 square kilometres or around 5.8% of the Croatian land territory. The<br />
total Croatian coastline is 6,278 kilometres long, with 4,398 kilometres accounted for by<br />
island coastlines. Only seventy-nine islands are larger than one square kilometre, and<br />
only twenty-one exceed twenty square kilometres (DuplanËiÊ Leder, UjeviÊ, »ala 2004).<br />
They are usually divided into two or four groups according to location: the Kvarner islands<br />
and the Dalmatian islands, or the Kvarner, North Dalmatian, Central Dalmatian<br />
and South Dalmatian islands (NejaπmiÊ, 1997; FriganoviÊ, 2001; Bucul 2014). According<br />
to the territorial county organisation of Croatia, the islands belong to seven counties<br />
with sea exits: Istria, Primorje-Gorski kotar, Lika-Senj, Zadar, ©ibenik-Knin, Split-Dalmatia<br />
and Dubrovnik-Neretva Counties. There are no islands with any types of schools in<br />
the Istria County, while the Lika-Senj and ©ibenik-Knin Counties have only primary<br />
schools on their islands.<br />
Table 1 Top Croatian islands by surface area, population and numbers of pupils in primary and secondary<br />
schools in the 2017—<strong>2018</strong> school year.<br />
(Source: URL 1 for surface areas and populations; URL 4 for pupil number data)<br />
Population density Island and number Island and number<br />
Island and surface Population in 2011 of pupils in of pupils in<br />
area (km 2 ) in 2011 (pop./km 2 ) primary schools secondary schools<br />
Cres - 405.7 Krk - 19,383 Rab - 103 Krk - 1,325 KorËula - 572<br />
Krk - 405.2 KorËula - 15,522 Loπinj - 101 KorËula - 1,231 Krk - 397<br />
BraË - 394.5 BraË - 13,956 KorËula - 56 BraË - 978 BraË - 286<br />
Hvar - 299.6 Hvar - 11,077 Krk - 47 Hvar - 762 Loπinj - 284<br />
Pag - 284.5 Rab - 9,328 Vis - 38 Rab - 708 Hvar - 280<br />
KorËula - 276.0 Pag - 9,059 Hvar - 37 Pag - 602 Rab - 174<br />
Rab - 90.8 Loπinj - 7,587 BraË - 35 Loπinj - 587 Pag - 102<br />
Vis - 90.2 Vis - 3,445 Pag - 32 Vis - 213 Vis - 74<br />
Loπinj - 74.6 Cres - 3,079 Cres - 8 Cres - 209 Cres - 41<br />
351
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
The data shows huge differences between the islands in terms of population density<br />
and vitality. Cres, the largest island, has a population density of eight per square<br />
kilometre and is not highly ranked when it comes to population or number of pupils.<br />
KorËula, the sixth largest island, ranked second in population and primary school pupils<br />
and leads the table in terms of secondary school pupils. BraË and Hvar are also<br />
highly placed and balanced according to the given indicators. The second largest island,<br />
Krk, has the highest population and number of primary school pupils, and the<br />
second highest number of secondary school pupils. It owes this solid status to its affiliation<br />
with an economically more developed county and better transport solutions<br />
(there is a road bridge to the mainland and good ferry connections with the mainland<br />
and neighbouring islands).<br />
The current island population (125,082 in 2011) is the result of historical events,<br />
particularly in the second half of the nineteenth century, when mass emigrations began<br />
from the islands and are still continuing today. The highest island population ever<br />
recorded was in 1921 (173,503). Up to the Second World War, most islanders left the<br />
islands for distant, overseas destinations; after the war, there was an increasing exodus<br />
toward the coast and inland Croatian towns and cities. In the 1960s, people from the<br />
islands and all of Croatia mostly left to find ‘temporary’ work in more developed European<br />
countries (National Island Development Program, 1997). Since then, depopulation<br />
has accelerated and negative demographic trends are evident (more deaths than<br />
births). By 1981, one-fifth of the population of the larger islands, one-third of the population<br />
of the middle-sized islands, and three-quarters of the population of small islands<br />
had left, compared with the 1921 figures. This brought many island populations to the<br />
verge of extinction (Starc, 2015).<br />
The island population has again begun to rise slowly in the last two decades. The<br />
National Programme for Island Development has encouraged financial investments<br />
from the public sector, various ministries, agencies and institutions, mostly in transport<br />
connectivity, transportation and communal infrastructure, economic branches, particularly<br />
tourism and also primary and secondary education.<br />
There are 344 permanent settlements on the Croatian islands, with an average<br />
population of about 370. If we include islands with temporary residents, then there are<br />
about one hundred inhabited islands, though only forty-seven are considered permanently<br />
inhabited (NPRO, 1977). Even the urban settlements tend to have small populations,<br />
the largest being Mali Loπinj with 6,296 inhabitants (2011). The consequences of<br />
demographic shifts during the twentieth century were many and mostly negative. They<br />
can be summarised in a few features:<br />
— negative changes in the age profile of the island population — ageing population<br />
(NejaπmiÊ 2013);<br />
— reduced proportion of islanders of reproductive age, reduced birth rate, weakening<br />
of the biodynamic potential of the entire island population (FriganoviÊ,<br />
2001);<br />
352
K. Magaπ: The Croatian Islands in the Education System of the Republic of Croatia<br />
— reduced proportion of islanders fit to work, ageing of the working contingent;<br />
— loss of jobs on the island, abandonment of land holdings;<br />
— emigration of young families for work and children’s education; and<br />
— loss of school-age population (NPRO, 1997; URL 4).<br />
There is also the case of ‘statistical residence’ (fictional residence registered on an<br />
island in order to gain certain benefits, mostly by older people and holiday home owners),<br />
which does not improve the situation or renew vitality (LajiÊ, 2013; Akrap, 2015).<br />
BASIC DOCUMENTS IMPORTANT TO EDUCATION<br />
IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA<br />
The responsibility of the central state for the islands was enshrined in law in the late<br />
twentieth century. The Ministry of Development and Renewal of the Republic of Croatia<br />
adopted a strategic document in 1997 that set the framework for island development<br />
— the National Programme for Island Development. For schooling, the basic<br />
tasks of the programme are:<br />
— to reorganise the network of primary (base and branch) schools and secondary<br />
schools,<br />
— to establish special standards for the work of island schools,<br />
— to establish special criteria for the work of teachers in island schools,<br />
— to develop special, additional forms of work for small and combined classes on<br />
the islands, and<br />
— to use EU funds to equalise conditions for life and education on the islands and<br />
the mainland.<br />
Accordingly, it is envisaged that investments will be made in building, repairing<br />
and equipping schools, maintaining school playgrounds and environments, building<br />
and equipping sports halls, subsidising pupil transport, introducing distance learning,<br />
etc.<br />
Two strategic national documents, the 2008 Act on Education in Primary and Secondary<br />
Schools and the State Pedagogical Standards for Primary Education 2008, established<br />
the minimum infrastructure, finances and staffing conditions for performing educational<br />
activities. The most important contents of the second document regarding<br />
standards for the Croatian islands are paragraphs determining how island schools<br />
should function. Primary schools are categorised according to the number of classes<br />
and pupils:<br />
— A base primary school has at least one class in each year from Year 1 to Year 8.<br />
— A branch school belongs to a base school and is linked to it by curriculum and<br />
staff. It must have at least one class for Years 1 to 4 or for Years 5 to 8.<br />
— A branch class is a dislocated class of the base school which does not fulfil the<br />
requirements for opening a branch school.<br />
353
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
— A combined class is a group of pupils in years 2, 3 and 4 and is common in<br />
schools with low pupil numbers.<br />
— The primary school network is organised on the county level.<br />
THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA<br />
Education in the Croatian area dates back to the tenth century and was always linked<br />
to the Church and clergy up to the eighteenth century. Systematic education for the<br />
people began during the reign of Maria Theresa. In 1774, she issued the General School<br />
Order and began a reform concentrating on primary education. In 1874, the Croatian<br />
Diet passed the first Croatian Schools Act, regulating compulsory five-year education in<br />
Croatian rather than in German, as had previously been the case. In 1945, compulsory<br />
education was extended to seven years, and in 1958, to eight years for all children from<br />
seven to fifteen years of age (URL 2).<br />
The current education system in the Republic of Croatia was established in 1993<br />
and consists of four stages: preschool, primary, secondary and tertiary education (URL<br />
3).<br />
Preschool education is delivered by kindergartens and preschool institutions. Children<br />
from the age of six months up to school age are included. This research does not<br />
include an analysis of preschool education institutions on the Croatian islands.<br />
Primary education begins when a child is enrolled in Year 1 and is compulsory. It<br />
usually lasts from age six to age fifteen, while for pupils with multiple developmental<br />
problems, it can be extended to the age of twenty-one at the most. For pupils with developmental<br />
problems, individual approaches are implemented in regular or special<br />
classes and groups.<br />
Secondary education is not compulsory, but pupils gain knowledge and skills for<br />
work and further education. According to the curricula, secondary schools are divided<br />
into gymnasia, vocational (technical, industrial, crafts) or artistic schools. About 31% of<br />
pupils nationwide choose gymnasia, and around 67% attend vocational schools in fourteen<br />
educational sectors defined by the Decision on Establishing Educational Sectors in<br />
Vocational Education (2007). All secondary schools on the islands provide various vocational<br />
curricula, mostly lasting three or four years.<br />
Secondary education institutions include student dorms, which ensure pupils have<br />
suitable accommodation (bed and board) during their secondary school education. The<br />
starting-points in organising their work are humanist-developmental paradigms and students’<br />
individual needs and interests. The only such facility on the Croatian islands is<br />
the Centre for Education at the Juvenile Home in Mali Loπinj.<br />
Higher education is conducted at higher education institutions, whether at universities<br />
or vocational studies institutions. There are no higher education institutions on<br />
the Croatian islands.<br />
354
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PRIMARY SCHOOLS ON THE CROATIAN ISLANDS<br />
In the 2017—18 school year, there were thirty-four primary schools registered as base<br />
schools, forty-eight branch schools (forty-one belonging to island base schools and seven<br />
to mainland base schools) and thirteen branch classes (eight belonging to island<br />
schools and five to mainland schools), with a total of 8,026 pupils. Table 2 shows the<br />
distribution by county.<br />
Table 2 Primary schools on the Croatian islands and pupil numbers in<br />
2017—<strong>2018</strong> by county (Source: URL 4)<br />
County Base primary school Branch school/branch class<br />
(total number 2017—<strong>2018</strong> in 2017—<strong>2018</strong><br />
of pupils) (total number of pupils) (number of pupils whose base school is on the mainland)<br />
Primorje- F. PetriÊa Cres (209) —<br />
Gorski kotar M. MartinoliÊa M. Loπinj (587) Veli Loπinj, Nerezine, Unije, Susak, Ilovik<br />
(2,829)<br />
I. Rabljanina Rab (708) Barbat, Banjol, Kampor, Lopar, Mundanije,<br />
Supetrska Draga<br />
“F.K. Frankopan“ Krk (784)<br />
Malinska-Dubaπnica (245) —<br />
Omiπalj (296)<br />
Baπka, Punat, Vrbnik, Vrh<br />
Dobrinj<br />
Lika-Senj (355) A.G. Matoπa Novalja (355) Lun, Jakiπnica, ZuboviÊi, Metajna, Kolan<br />
Zadar J. Dalmatinca Pag (247) Dinjiπka, Povljana, VlaπiÊi<br />
(854) “V. Klarin“ Preko (305) Kali, Kukljica, Poljana, SutomiπÊica, Lukoran, Ugljan<br />
“V. Nazor“ Neviappleane (131) —<br />
“P. Lorini“ Sali (58)<br />
Boæava<br />
Vir (96) — Base PS Privlaka<br />
Vrgada (1) — Base PS Pakoπtane<br />
Silba (8), Veli Iæ (8) — Base PS Zadarski otoci, Zadar<br />
©ibenik-Knin “Murterski πkoji“ Murter (227) Betina<br />
(369) V. Kaleba Tisno (136) Jezera<br />
PrviÊ ©epurine (1), Zlarin (1) — Base PS Meterize,<br />
©ibenik<br />
Krapanj (4) — Base PS Brodarica, ©ibenik<br />
Split-Dalmatia Bol (90) —<br />
(2,297) V. Nazora Postira (135) —<br />
Milna (60) —<br />
Selca (106)<br />
Sumartin<br />
PuËiπÊa (176)<br />
Praænica, G. Humac<br />
Supetar (411)<br />
NereæiπÊa, Sutivan<br />
Hvar (312) —<br />
Jelsa (247)<br />
Sveta Nedjelja, SvirËe, Vrboska<br />
P. HektoroviÊa Stari Grad (190) Dol, Vrbanj<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
“A. AnappleelinoviÊ“ SuÊuraj (13)<br />
Vis (130) —<br />
Komiæa (83) —<br />
“Grohote“ ©olta (52) —<br />
“Slatine“ »iovo (62) —<br />
Bogomolje<br />
Dubrovnik- Blato (276) —<br />
Neretva Vela Luka (306) —<br />
(1,322)<br />
P. KanaveliÊa KorËula (386) RaËiπÊe, Lumbarda<br />
Smokvica (126)<br />
“A. CuraÊ-Pinjac“ Ærnovo (91)<br />
“Mljet“ Babino polje (55)<br />
“BraÊa Glumac“ Lastovo (48) —<br />
Okrug Gornji (230) — Base PS “P.BerislaviÊ“ Trogir<br />
»ara<br />
Pupnat<br />
Goveappleari<br />
KoloËep (1), Suappleuraapple (5), Luka ©ipanska (18)<br />
all I. GunduliÊa Dubrovnik-Gruæ<br />
Lopud (10) — Base PS A. Masle Oraπac<br />
An exhaustive analysis of schools on the Croatian islands in the 1995-1996 school<br />
year was published in the National Programme for Island Development (1997). The islands<br />
were placed in four groups according to the number of pupils. When comparing<br />
the situation then and now we can conclude the following: there were nine islands<br />
with over 500 pupils in primary schools in the first group (Krk, KorËula, BraË, Hvar,<br />
Loπinj, Rab, Pag, Ugljan and Murter). Now there are only seven. Murter and Ugljan have<br />
moved to a lower category. The highest number of pupils is on the island of Krk<br />
(1,325). The only other island with over a thousand pupils is KorËula (1,231), though<br />
in 1995, BraË and Hvar had also reached this level. In the first group of islands, there<br />
were 10,446 pupils altogether, which is 84.7% of all island primary school pupils<br />
(1995—96). Now the islands in this first group have 6,193 pupils, or 77.1% of all island<br />
primary school pupils. Identical school numbers have been retained on Krk, KorËula,<br />
BraË, Loπinj and Rab. Branch schools have become base schools on Krk, Dubaπnica<br />
and Omiπalj, while the island of Pag was divided between two counties in 1997, so the<br />
school organisation was rearranged, and a new branch school, Jakiπnica, was formed.<br />
The ZastraæiπÊe branch school on Hvar has closed.<br />
The second group consists of islands that have between fifty and 499 pupils. Since<br />
the 1990s, Vis, Cres, »iovo, Paπman, Dugi otok, ©olta, Mljet and Lastovo have remained<br />
in this group, but all have experienced an average loss of 30% in pupil numbers. Murter<br />
(363) and Ugljan (305) have joined the group. The number of base and branch<br />
schools has remained the same on Vis, »iovo, ©olta, Mljet and Lastovo. Branch schools<br />
have closed on Cres, Orlec, MartinπÊica and Valun, and branch classes have closed on<br />
Paπman, Tkon, Dobropoljana and Mrljane, as has the Brbinj branch class on Dugi ot-<br />
356
K. Magaπ: The Croatian Islands in the Education System of the Republic of Croatia<br />
ok. The only significant exception is Vir, where the number of pupils in the observation<br />
period increased from forty-three to ninety-six, so it moved up from the third to<br />
the second group and is now in the process of acquiring the status of a base school<br />
(up to now, Vir has been a branch school of the Privlaka base school). In comparison<br />
with 1995-96, the number and percentage of pupils in the second-group schools has<br />
increased from 1,521 (12.9%) to 1,822 (22.0%) (2017—18).<br />
The third group comprises of islands that still have schools but with very low pupil<br />
numbers. These are branch classes of larger base schools on the mainland or neighbouring<br />
larger islands. Twenty years ago, they had low pupil numbers and mostly combined<br />
classes, but the current situation is even more alarming: Unije (44›2), Veli Iæ<br />
(32›8), ©ipan (24›15), Lopud (20›6), Silba (30›8), PrviÊ (23›1), Ist (12›0), Olib<br />
(14›0), Vrgada (14›1), Krapanj (14›4), Zlarin (10›1), Susak (9›4), KoloËep (6›1),<br />
Ilovik (5›8). Ist and Olib branch classes have closed, and four other islands have only<br />
one pupil each. In 2017-18, there were only sixty-nine pupils altogether in this group<br />
of islands, which is 0.9% of all island pupils in the Republic of Croatia.<br />
The fourth group comprises of islands that have school buildings but don’t have<br />
pupils: Biπevo, Jakljan, Kaprije, Mali Drvenik, Molat (in three settlements: Brgulje, Molat,<br />
Zapuntel), Oπljak, Premuda, Rava, Rivanj, Sestrunj, Veli Drvenik, Vele Srakane, Zverinac<br />
and Æirje, according to the 1995—96 period, and have now been joined by Ist<br />
and Olib.<br />
Therefore, in 2017—18 there were 8,026 primary school pupils on the islands, with<br />
active schools on thirty islands. The three largest primary schools are F. K. Frankopan<br />
in Krk (784), I. Rabljanin in Rab (708) and M. MartinoliÊ in Mali Loπinj (587). These are<br />
the only island schools with more than 500 pupils. On the other extreme are islands<br />
with only one pupil: KoloËep, PrviÊ, Vrgada and Zlarin. In comparison with 1995-96,<br />
the total number of island primary school pupils has shrunk by 35%!<br />
The E-islands project began in 2008 with financial support from the Government<br />
of the Republic of Croatia. The main aim was to provide pupils in distant, underpopulated<br />
island settlements with access to the Internet and modern technology in learning<br />
and to improve the quality of education in island schools and dissuade at least<br />
some of the population from leaving the islands. Some pupils in island schools are on<br />
their own or in very small classes, so this type of teaching and communication helps<br />
them make contact with their peers, even if it is at a distance.<br />
The school timetable is organized by base schools, whether in the towns, on the<br />
mainland or on larger neighbouring islands. E-classes are conducted via videoconferencing,<br />
allowing audio and video communication between base schools and branch<br />
schools. Seven base schools and thirteen branch schools (with a total of 103 pupils)<br />
were originally included in the project. By 2017—18, the number of pupils had fallen<br />
to seventy.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Table 3 Base and branch island schools involved in the E-islands project.<br />
(Source: IvankoviÊ, 2009; URL 4, URL 5)<br />
Number of pupils Number of pupils<br />
Base school Branch school in 2008. in 2017<br />
M. MartinoliÊa, Mali Loπinj Ilovik 6 8<br />
Susak 10 4<br />
Unije 8 2<br />
Zadar islands, Zadar Olib 1 Closed<br />
Silba 2 8<br />
Veli Iæ 22 8<br />
F. VranËiÊa, ©ibenik PrviÊ ©epurine 7 1<br />
(2017 Meterize, ©ibenik) Zlarin 3 1<br />
Brodarica, ©ibenik Krapanj 4 4<br />
Slano Suappleuraapple 6 5<br />
©ipanska Luka 20 18<br />
A. Masle, Oraπac Lopud 8 10<br />
I. GunduliÊa, Dubrovnik KoloËep 6 1<br />
First experiences have shown many advantages as well as some significant drawbacks<br />
in applying and conducting videoconferencing in teaching. All the participants<br />
in the teaching process (teachers, pupils, parents and expert school services) agree.<br />
The main advantages are expert teaching delivery, direct communication between pupils<br />
at the base school and branch schools, a community feeling, a fun and interesting<br />
experience for the pupils, and ICT providing motivating, high quality education. The<br />
problems mentioned most are audibility (poor or unrecognisable sound), the clumsy,<br />
unnatural nature of the approach, the need to eliminate all other distractions in the<br />
classroom (chatter, chairs scraping, etc.), paying too much attention to technology and<br />
too little to content, some pupils finding videoconferencing distancing, others finding<br />
it hard to relax when communicating in front of the camera, and obvious disadvantages<br />
for pupils who are alone in the classroom (URL 7).<br />
In spite of these difficulties, the project enables “live” teaching content to be delivered<br />
to distant schools on small, sparsely populated islands through technology for<br />
distance learning. It connects branch schools effectively with base schools, reducing<br />
travelling time for teachers, and raises teaching quality.<br />
Under the auspices of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, within the competency<br />
of the Ministry of Science and Education and with the assistance of CARNet,<br />
the E-school pilot project began to be implemented in 2015 (“e-school: establishing a<br />
system to develop digitally mature schools in Croatia”). The project consists of two<br />
phases. 101 primary schools and fifty secondary schools were included in the first<br />
phase (2015—<strong>2018</strong>). Island schools are represented proportionally in the project (Fig.<br />
1).<br />
358
K. Magaπ: The Croatian Islands in the Education System of the Republic of Croatia<br />
Figure 1 Primary and secondary island schools involved in<br />
the E-school pilot project in 2015. (Source: URL 6)<br />
Blato Primary School, Blato — Island of KorËula<br />
Komiæa Primary School, Komiæa — Island of Vis<br />
J. Dalmatinac Primary School, Pag — Island of Pag<br />
I. Rabljanin Primary School, Rab — Island of Rab<br />
A. M. Karamaneo Secondary School, Vis — Island of Vis<br />
BraË Secondary School, Supetar — Island of BraË<br />
Vela Luka Secondary School, Vela Luka — Island of KorËula<br />
PuËiπÊa Stonemasonry School, PuËiπÊa — Island of BraË<br />
The second phase (2019—2022) is under preparation, and it will include all Croatian<br />
schools. The aim is to digitalise all teaching in primary and secondary schools in<br />
the Republic of Croatia.<br />
SECONDARY EDUCATION ON THE CROATIAN ISLANDS<br />
Secondary education is present on only nine Croatian islands (a situation that has remained<br />
the same since 1994—5 and still applies in 2017—18) through fourteen secondary<br />
schools. In fact, the actual number is twelve, because the secondary school in Cres<br />
(General Gymnasium) is a branch school of Mali Loπinj, and there are dislocated classes<br />
of the Hvar Secondary School in Jelsa. There is an obvious “white spot” in the central<br />
part of the Croatian archipelago — there is not a single secondary school between<br />
Pag and BraË. This may be because these islands have suffered the heaviest population<br />
losses (small islands) or because there has not been sufficient investment in transport<br />
connections (Dugi otok). The spatial distribution of secondary schools on the islands<br />
is given in the figure below (Fig. 2), with a list of student numbers for 2017—18.<br />
Figure 2 Secondary schools on the Croatian islands (Source: URL 4)<br />
Kralj Zvonimir Secondary School, Krk (397)<br />
A. HaraËiÊ Secondary School, Mali Loπinj<br />
with classes in Cres (325)<br />
M. de Dominis Secondary School, Rab (146)<br />
B. KaπiÊ Secondary School, Pag (102)<br />
Bol Secondary School, BraË (72)<br />
BraË Secondary School, Supetar, BraË (141)<br />
PuËiπÊa Stonemasonry School, PuËiπÊa, BraË (73)<br />
Hvar Secondary School with classes in Jelsa (280)<br />
A. M. Karamaneo Secondary School, Vis (74)<br />
P. ©egedin Secondary School, KorËula (300)<br />
Vela Luka Secondary School, Vela Luka (122)<br />
Blato Secondary School, Blato (150)<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
The total secondary school population on the islands was 2,210, which was only<br />
65% of the total number for 1995-96. The accumulative fall in the number of secondary<br />
school students on the islands corresponds to the falling number of primary school<br />
pupils (35%) in the same period. The lowest reduction in the number of students during<br />
the past twenty years has been at Krk Secondary School (18.7%) and the highest at<br />
Vis Secondary School (47.9%).<br />
All eleven secondary schools have complex educational opportunity structures.<br />
They offer the four-year general gymnasium curriculum and a number of combined<br />
vocational curricula to prepare students for the labour market. Four-year curricula prepare<br />
students to be hotelier-tourist technicians, hotelier-tourist commercialists, computer<br />
technicians, ship-building technicians, maritime sailors, electro-technicians and economists.<br />
Three-year curricula include those for the catering industry (waiters, chefs and<br />
pastry-chefs) and trades such as car mechanics, ship mechanics, electrical installers,<br />
electrical mechanics, hairdressers, plumbers and machinists. PuËiπÊa Stonemasonry<br />
School is a specialist school that trains masonry technicians and stonemasons. The Education<br />
Centre at Mali Loπinj Juvenile Home provides three-year curricula in mechanical<br />
engineering, the catering industry and timber products. There are also two-year curricula<br />
and adult education courses. In 2017—18, 40% of island students attended gymnasiums<br />
and 60% went to vocational schools. On the state level, the corresponding figures<br />
are 31% and 67%.<br />
The two islands with the highest primary school pupil numbers (Krk and KorËula)<br />
serve as examples to indicate the pattern of trends in secondary schools. Children<br />
who live on islands close to the mainland, with good transport connections, often<br />
choose a secondary school in a larger town, so the islands lose most of the pupils when<br />
they leave primary school. In 2017—18, Krk retained only 31% of primary school pupils,<br />
while KorËula, which is further from the mainland, retained 46%.<br />
According to school websites, in the absence of other places for young people to<br />
congregate, schools organise many extracurricular activities and projects students are<br />
involved in, including Eco-schools, Globe, ERASMUS, E-Twinning, Education for Europe,<br />
EU School Ambassadors, HvaR&D — geoinformatics in geography, European<br />
Secondary School exchange, SEMEP, folk and music groups, debate clubs, island cultural<br />
heritage groups and foreign language classes. Since these activities take place in<br />
the afternoon after school, there are problems in transporting the children home, as the<br />
school buses usually only operate until 2 p.m.<br />
The State Educational Standard in the Secondary Education System (2008) specifies<br />
the circumstances in which standards at the national level may be waived. Island<br />
secondary schools may have fewer classes, classes may be formed with fewer pupils,<br />
and a class may comprise of pupils following three or more different curricula (vocations).<br />
Since financing comes from the state budget, the founder, the local community<br />
and donors, schools with better local support tend to enjoy better conditions. Bol Secondary<br />
School on the island of BraË, for example, launched a project to provide a num-<br />
360
K. Magaπ: The Croatian Islands in the Education System of the Republic of Croatia<br />
ber of benefits for its pupils in <strong>2018</strong>-19: all students who fulfil the requirements for a<br />
place in the school dorm will have the right to completely free accommodation and<br />
food there (financed by Bol Municipality), and those who enrol in courses to become<br />
chefs or waiters will have the right to full scholarships of 1,200 Croatian kunas per<br />
month (financed by Hoteli “Zlatni Rat” d.d.). Students are guaranteed practical work,<br />
employment and accommodation during the summer holiday and work and accommodation<br />
when they complete their education. All students receive a new laptop or tablet<br />
so they can access digital educational materials. This project has the full support of<br />
the Ministry of Science and Education, the Split-Dalmatia County, Bol Municipality, Bol<br />
businesses and the entire local community (URL 8).<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
The island schools have the same curriculum, educational aims, teaching content and<br />
similar educational results as schools on the mainland. Due to low pupil numbers and<br />
the frequency of combined classes on the islands, there are differences in the methods<br />
and forms of work in island schools. In 2017—18, there were combined classes in two<br />
base schools, twenty-three branch schools and eight branch classes. A high proportion<br />
of the teaching staff travels from larger towns on the mainland or works in two or even<br />
three schools, so organising timetables is a major problem. As pupil numbers are decreasing<br />
in small schools, this may mean teachers cannot be employed full-time, or<br />
they have to make up their hours by taking on extracurricular activities.<br />
According to the available indicators for primary schools, educational standards<br />
and the quality of educational work in island schools does not lag behind the national<br />
average, but there are differences within the island category. Around 50% of base<br />
schools and only 20% of branch schools say they are satisfied with their level of equipment<br />
(URL 4). The best standards in terms of equipment are on the Kvarner islands,<br />
followed by those in the Split-Dalmatia and Dubrovnik-Neretva Counties. Other islands<br />
have very small schools and often complain of significantly lower standards, such as<br />
poorly equipped classrooms, no sports facilities or no playgrounds. The lack of materials<br />
is often made up by extra teacher involvement in preparing and delivering lessons,<br />
so that they can provide the same curriculum as in regular schools. Thanks to increased<br />
teacher involvement, extra and supplementary lessons are regularly organised,<br />
with a good number of extracurricular activities.<br />
The ultimate goal of development on the Croatian islands in the near future should<br />
be to create suitable conditions for life and education, so that younger generations will<br />
stay on the islands and attract new inhabitants.<br />
361
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
References<br />
Akrap, A., »ipin, I. (2015). Razvoj stanovniπtva hrvatskih otoka, in More — hrvatsko blago, RadiÊ,<br />
Zagreb, 88-106.<br />
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u Rijeci — Pomorski fakultet u Rijeci.<br />
DuplanËiÊ-Leder, T., UjeviÊ, T., »ala, M. (2004). Coastline Lengths and Areas of Islands in the<br />
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FriganoviÊ, M. A. (2001). O demografskoj problematici hrvatskih otoka na Jadranu, Sociologija sela,<br />
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nacionalnog interesa HAZU.<br />
Act on Education in Primary School (2008) / Zakon o odgoju i obrazovanju u osnovnoj πkoli.<br />
Hrvatski sabor. Narodne novine 87/2008.<br />
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obrazovanja i sporta Republike Hrvatske, Zagreb.<br />
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hrvatski_obrazovni_sustav.pdf<br />
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URL 5. www.carnet.hr-e-otoci<br />
URL 6. CARNET//www.e-skole.hr/hr/dionici/skole u pilot projektu<br />
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daleko-su-nasi-skoji-2381.html<br />
URL 8. Srednja πkola Bol na BraËu. Available on: https://www.bolinfo.hr/kultura-skolstvo/<br />
ss-bol/<strong>2018</strong>/srednja-skola-bol-na-bracu-poziva-na-upis<br />
363
Majda RUBI∆<br />
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF<br />
THE CROATIAN ARCHIPELAGO IN<br />
THE CONTEXT OF THE EUROPEAN<br />
PARLIAMENT'S RESOLUTION ON<br />
SPECIAL SITUATION OF ISLANDS<br />
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF THE CROATIAN ARCHIPELAGO<br />
Croatia has its position as a part of the Danube region of South Eastern Europe and the<br />
other part of Mediterranean Europe, and stands out in possession of a long sea coast.<br />
The Croatian archipelago on the Adriatic coast, situated on the eastern coast of the<br />
state, has a rich lace appearance because they are in a special position. Croatian islands<br />
are in the middle of Europe and they include most of the islands of the eastern Adriatic<br />
cost and its central part. It is the second largest archipelago of the Mediterranean<br />
Sea and has the Adriatic type of Mediterranean climate. Being in the middle of the Adriatic<br />
has meant having some positioning advantages (geopolitical, nautical tourism).<br />
Management mode and accessing the islands differs greatly among the EU member<br />
states: “On the one hand there are larger islands, for example, the Spanish and Portuguese<br />
ocean islands, where enough people can start and maintain social and economic<br />
development, island development policy is the islands itself. On the other side, the<br />
islands are located along the mainland with which they are historically, socially and<br />
economically closely connected. In the first place there stand out islands of Greece and<br />
Finland, mostly Croatian islands. In countries that have such islands, the readiness to<br />
recognize and appreciate island specialties is regularly smaller and islands are perceived<br />
as land extensions where development policy can be submerged. Such islands<br />
are often an integral part of land management units, and the creators and developers<br />
have more and more active on the islands and on the land.” (LajiÊ, I., 2006)<br />
The main comparative development benefits have been created over the last thirty<br />
years and Croatian islands have been highlighted as one of the most valuable areas<br />
of the Mediterranean. In the Adriatic as land-based and canal islands are placed parallel<br />
to the shore, in the ranks of two, three or five, separated by long and narrow canals<br />
from the continent or between themselves (RubiÊ, I., 1952). They are more likely<br />
to cope with certain difficulties than other EU islands more distant from the European<br />
coastline on the continent. The direction of the islands in the Croatian archipelago sea<br />
is followed by the mountainside direction and their natural geographic features are dif-<br />
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ferent from other EU islands. The direction of providing Croatian islands is followed by<br />
the direction of the mountain on land that was first observed on the coast of Dalmatia,<br />
so such a type of coastline in the world is called the “Dalmatian type of coast”. A uniform<br />
analytical approach to islands is not possible.<br />
When it comes to the geographic distribution of Croatian islands, the researchers<br />
start from their location in space and their size and their relation to the coastal centers<br />
they gravitate to. There is a connection between the island and its closest island group,<br />
then the island's individual relationship, the islands as a group and the relations between<br />
the islands and the coast. The special situation of Croatian islands has no geographic<br />
pattern in the geography of each of the major island groups, namely the Western<br />
Istrian Island Group, the Kvarner Group of Islands, the Central Dalmatian Islands<br />
with two subheadings (the Zadar and ©ibenik Archipelagos), the South Dalmatian Island<br />
Group and the Islands of the Garganson Peljeπac Sill. The natural geographical<br />
features of the Croatian islands provide a matter of broad professional analysis of the<br />
researchers, including the genesis of the islands, shapes of the islands, rocks and soil,<br />
climate, waters, plant geography, zoogeography, sea and underwater island areas and<br />
relations between natural factors. (RubiÊ, I., 1952). Their location, relationship with the<br />
costal centers to which they gravitate and the relationship between the islands and the<br />
mainland are also included in the matters of nissology. The islands have a special<br />
meaning for Croatia and represent its treasure. Under the title of the basic document<br />
the National Development program of the islands is a verse by the author of the national<br />
anthem (Antun MihanoviÊ):<br />
Ne spavajte, o otoci naπi/ Lijepi vrti morem plivajuÊi.<br />
Applications and implementation of EU regulations oblige Croatia as a full member<br />
of the EU. In the field of spatial planning there are no binding EU regulations, only<br />
the so-called soft law acts (declaration, resolution, communication, opinion). The<br />
Croatian legislation does not recognize the concept of regionalization, but regional policy<br />
is developing in compatibility with the EU's regional policy. The overall regional<br />
policy also implies determining the role of managing authority of development projects,<br />
and that question facilitates the access to structural, investment and specialized<br />
EU funds. Regional policy is the EU's investment policy and territorial cohesion with<br />
the Resolution on special situation of islands is an internal part of it. The following<br />
chapters attempt to clarify.<br />
THE SPACE OF ISLAND WITH A POSITION IN RESOLUTION ON<br />
SPECIAL SITUATION OF ISLANDS<br />
An exploration of island issues with a legal approach aims to point to the importance<br />
of the European Parliament's Resolution on the special situation of islands and it can<br />
be said that the space of the islands is considered from the position of “legal geography”.<br />
Resolution is founded on Art. 174 TFEU and recognizes the need to clearly de-<br />
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fine the islands' particular situation in relation to persistent natural (geographic) and<br />
demographic problems, also considers economic difficulties. This is a non-binding act<br />
in accordance with geographic or demographic characteristics of the EU's island development<br />
policy, and it does not apply directly, but it is monitored in EU member states<br />
because it introduces measures for a new cohesion policy for islands.<br />
The financial crisis in the European Union has influenced potential development<br />
of disadvantaged island regions in relation to the mainland regions. Therefore, in 27<br />
January 2016, the European Parliament voted in favor of the Resolution on the special<br />
situation of islands, with the intention of the Commission clearly identifying the type<br />
of difficulties that the islands must relate to Art. 174. TFEU. So, first proposed text of<br />
the Ressolution contained recommendations to the European Commission to establish<br />
a homogeneous EU island group with a development program in accordance with the<br />
EUROSTAT classification of a region where the definition of the island is also located.<br />
But the Bulgarian MEP Iskra Mihaylova on behalf of the Committee for Regional Development<br />
has proposed an amendment (B8-0106/2016):<br />
“Island regions, classified as NUTS 2 and NUTS 3 regions, have common and specific<br />
permanent characteristics and features that clearly distinguish them from<br />
mainland regions. Article 174 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European<br />
Union (TFEU) recognizes that island regions as a whole face permanent handicaps<br />
that require particular attention. However, in the preparation of the 2014—2020 financial<br />
programming period, EU island regions at NUTS-2 and NUTS-3 level did<br />
not receive any dedicated funding, but only the possibility of modulation of co-financing<br />
rates for certain types of island under Article 121 of Regulation (EU) No<br />
1303/2013.<br />
— Can the Commission provide a clear definition of the kind of permanent<br />
natural or demographic handicaps under Article 174 TFEU that island regions at<br />
NUTS-2 and NUTS-3 levels are expected to face?<br />
— What specific cohesion policy instruments and resources are available to<br />
tackle the handicaps arising from insularity?<br />
— In the future, how will the Commission address compliance with Article<br />
174 TFEU as regards recognition of the permanent handicaps faced by island regions<br />
at NUTS-2 and NUTS-3 level as a permanent obstacle which may affect the<br />
achievement of the cohesion policy objectives?<br />
— Is the Commission of the opinion that consideration could be given to other<br />
indicators besides GDP which go beyond measuring economic production and<br />
take into account islands’ specificities, such as the regional competitiveness index,<br />
with a view to better reflecting the economic and social vulnerability arising from<br />
the natural permanent handicaps faced by such regions?”<br />
After that European Parliament adopted mentioned Opinion like Amendment of<br />
the Committee on Regional Development and incorporated it in the Resolution, which<br />
he has adopted on 4 February 2016. The final text of the Resolution differs significant-<br />
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ly from the previous one of January of that year. So, the main Resolution's recommendations<br />
for Member States and for European Commission (when MS do not do it), are<br />
to define “the special situation of the island”. Prime imperative is categorization of islands,<br />
islets, rocks and reefs according to regional affiliation or affiliation with individual<br />
island groups stated in point no. 5 of Resolution. From other recommendations are<br />
distinguished lower the value added tax rate for local communities and economies on<br />
the outermost islands, and especially if the Member State is also member of Economic<br />
Adjustment Program (point no. 6). Then, improve connectivity between islands and<br />
strengthen local production for local markets (point no. 7). To accept low taxes and reduce<br />
bureaucracy is important Resolution’s recommendation based on point no. 11 and<br />
no. 14 is emphasized to develop the strategies of the island on the principle of subsidiarity.<br />
The last Resolution’s recommendation is in point no. 18, for Commission to considers<br />
the special situation of the island for the next Multiannual Financial Framework<br />
(2021—2027).<br />
So, accepted remarks of MEP Mihaylova, include allegations that the NUTS 2 and<br />
NUTS 3 island regions did not receive any EU funding for the 2014—2020 programming<br />
period. After that European Parliament not consider EUROSTAT definition of the<br />
island, it is deleted from the point no 3 of Resolution. The real contribution to regional<br />
development is given to projects that meet the specific needs and potentials of an<br />
area. The EU island Member can give the best answer to all island questions and should<br />
define their differences and similarities, to determine what each island’s special situation<br />
is as well as categorize its islands. Only when an EU MS does not do this job, mentioned<br />
definition and categorization will make the Secretariat for EU islands. Having in<br />
mind that it is necessary to support the strengthening of competitiveness through a balanced<br />
development of the islands. As it will be for the period 2014—2020, that the islands<br />
have not received any specific EU funds, advise of European Parliament is to apply<br />
the Directive 2006/112/EZ on a common system of value added tax, based on Resolution’<br />
s point no 6.<br />
The special situation of islands is an indispensable part of the Multi-annual Financial<br />
Framework 2014—2020 from March 14, <strong>2018</strong> and provides a classification by the<br />
development index (MFF items no 103 and 123). Tax arrangements should compensate<br />
for natural disadvantages and demographic difficulties. Therefore, the tax treaties in the<br />
Directive2006/112/EZ should be maintained as a compensation for natural disadvantages<br />
and persistent demographic difficulties, rather than wait for the EU's dedicated resources.<br />
Croatian archipelagos are groups of islands of specific characteristics closely related<br />
(Art. 46/b of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) and have significance and<br />
protection provided by the legislator based on Article 52 of the Constitution of the Republic<br />
of Croatia. Primarily, when mentioned EUROSTAT establishes a hierarchy of<br />
NUTS levels of regions all Croatian islands are classified as distant islands in the NUTS<br />
2 region. But later in negotiations with the European Union only four islands Dugi<br />
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otok, Vis, Lastovo and Mljet, were granted the status of geographically distant islands.<br />
From the 2016, EUROSTAT island definition on a clear connection with the mainland<br />
has been deleted. When we consider that only four islands got the status of distant islands<br />
in negotiations with the EU, is clear that those islands have the possibility of adjusting<br />
the financing rate for islands to “clearly distinguish them from mainland regions”<br />
(according to point no 6 of the Resolution and to the Article 121 (4) a) and d) of Regulation<br />
(EFRR) No. 1303/2013). The recommendations in the Resolution are significant<br />
for Croatian islands.<br />
ISLAND DEVELOPMENT POLICY IN EU<br />
The new form of development of island areas of the Union within the cohesion policy<br />
is regulated under the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty, Article 174 TFEU:<br />
“In order to promote its overall harmonious development, the Union shall develop<br />
and pursue its actions leading to the strengthening of its economic, social and<br />
territorial cohesion.<br />
In particular, the Union shall aim at reducing disparities between the levels<br />
of development of the various regions and the backwardness of the least favoured<br />
regions.<br />
Among the regions concerned, particular attention shall be paid to rural areas,<br />
areas affected by industrial transition, and regions which suffer from severe and<br />
permanent natural or demographic handicaps such as the northernmost regions<br />
with very low population density and island, cross-border and mountain regions.”<br />
Island development policy is defined through a regional policy that seeks to reduce<br />
inequalities across different EU regions and the depopulation trend is reinforced<br />
by the economic situation. A region is more the subject than the object of policy. The<br />
context is provided not just by a state but also by the international market place and<br />
the demands of inter-regional competition. To promote its overall harmonious development,<br />
the Union shall develop and pursue its actions leading to the strengthening of<br />
its economic, social and territorial cohesion. This is in accordance with Article 174<br />
TFEU, which recognizes the need to pay particular attention to specific territories of the<br />
Union based by permanent natural or demographic handicaps, such as island regions.<br />
Islands are included in the farthest, peripheral regions of the EU with special situation.<br />
Member States with islands must achieve goals from Art. 174 TFEU through defining<br />
the special situation of islands and economic policies. The distance between islands<br />
and land regions, as well as between islands themselves is a factor for interpreting the<br />
permanent natural and geographical difficulties of an island in the EU, according to the<br />
provisions of the Lisbon Treaty. In this respect, clear distinction from the land and the<br />
definition of a European island's special situation are not set by default but are left to<br />
the Member State to define.<br />
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From the new cohesion policy which start in 2014, even more focus is on efforts<br />
to reduce the developmental inequalities of the regions. Islands add to the peripheral<br />
region of the EU due to its isolation because of the distance from the European mainland.<br />
Inevitably valuable island potentials are noted to be exploited with the help of<br />
investment by redeploying EU funds, and to increase economic activity and employment<br />
on islands associated with Art. 174. TFEU. To meet local and island needs better,<br />
the way of cooperation used in cross-border land areas has been accepted. Namely,<br />
the functioning of cohesion policy has been reformed through the application of partnership<br />
principles, through trans-European networks in specific areas that have the status<br />
of legal entity sui generis (European Group for Territorial Cooperation, EGTC). ESI<br />
funds, financial instruments and other existing Financial Instruments are obliged to help<br />
to realize goals from Art. 174 TFEU/L:<br />
“Member states shall conduct their economic policies and shall coordinate them in<br />
such a way as, in addition, to attain the objectives set out in Article 174. The formulation<br />
and implementation of the Union's policies and actions and the implementation<br />
of the internal market shall take into account the objectives set out in<br />
Article 174 and shall contribute to their achievement. The Union shall also support<br />
the achievement of these objectives by the action it takes through the Structural<br />
Funds (European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, Guidance Section;<br />
European Social Fund; European Regional Development Fund), the European Investment<br />
Bank and the other existing Financial Instruments.<br />
The Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament, the Council,<br />
the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions every<br />
three years on the progress made towards achieving economic, social and territorial<br />
cohesion and on the manner in which the various means provided for in this<br />
Article have contributed to it. This report shall, if necessary, be accompanied by<br />
appropriate proposals.<br />
If specific actions prove necessary outside the Funds and without prejudice<br />
to the measures decided upon within the framework of the other Union policies,<br />
such actions may be adopted by the European Parliament and the Council acting<br />
in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and after consulting the Economic<br />
and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.” (Article 175<br />
TFEU/L)<br />
Regarding other existing Financial Instruments, like we said before there is EGTC<br />
trans-European networks. Whether such a tool can and should help local communities,<br />
every member of the EU needs to be checked. It does not have to mean that such an<br />
approach is in line with its public interest or public policy. Cohesion policy as an investment<br />
policy is highly uncertain. There are different budgetary scenarios for already<br />
existing and new priorities for the EU. The cuts could be detrimental for the future of<br />
the policy and for achieving economic, social and territorial cohesion in Europe, as per<br />
Article 174 TFEU (CPMR, <strong>2018</strong>, “How can the post 2020 Cohesion Policy meet EU is-<br />
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lands challenges?”, p. 2). Forecasts reveal that all EU islands are declining in terms of<br />
regional GDP. They confirm the rise of regional disparities both across mainland and<br />
islands but also within Member States, and cohesion policy must continue to pay attention<br />
to specific territories such as islands (in compliance with Art. 174 TFEU). “This<br />
provides strong evidence for a post 2020 Cohesion policy covering all regions, with a<br />
reinforced territorial focus on regions which suffer from severe and permanent natural<br />
handicaps.” (CPMR, <strong>2018</strong>)<br />
NEW SITUATION OF EUROPEAN ISLANDS<br />
An island is a limited geographic area whose location determines the number of island<br />
features. Island policy is defined by the process of regionalization and efforts to reduce<br />
developmental differences in accordance with Art. 174 TFEU, which does not define<br />
difficulties on islands. However, Art. 175 TFEU notes that difficulties need to be overcome<br />
with the help of EU funds, financial instruments and EGTCs. It appears that the<br />
EU's regional policy is investment, and that territorial cohesion is an integral part of it.<br />
It is about the new situation of European islands and the use of island potential with<br />
the help of investment.<br />
Cohesion policy as an investment policy for regional development is seriously<br />
challenged and, with it, its fundamental territorial dimension. Yet this dimension is at<br />
the heart of cohesion policy added value, as one of the only EU policy with such a<br />
strong place-based approach. (CPMR, <strong>2018</strong>, Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions,<br />
intermediterranean commission with 9-member states: Albania, Cyprus, France, Greece,<br />
Italy, Malta, Morocco, Spain and Tunisia). The Communication by the European Commission<br />
on Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) makes clear that the future MFF<br />
will only finance “European Added Value” projects, policies and programmes which<br />
entails “pooling resources at European level to deliver results that spending at national<br />
level cannot.” With the absence of a legal definition of European added value the<br />
concept is quite unclear and could lead to interpretation for renationalization of some<br />
policies. (CPMR Background paper, <strong>2018</strong>, “Mapping out a EU budget for post 2020”, p.<br />
5)<br />
The functioning of cohesion policy is reformed by applying the principle of partnership<br />
through EGTCs in a specific area as a tool for better local needs in cross-border<br />
areas. Each member state can check whether such an approach is in accordance<br />
with its public interest or public policy, and the Republic of Croatia could consider the<br />
activities on its islands members in ESIN (European Small Island Network).<br />
The subject Resolution calls for attention because the Parliament request from the<br />
Commission to adopt a strategic framework for all EU islands. The working group, Secretary<br />
Office for Islands, was established after the suggestion of Croatian MEP Tonino<br />
Picula and has worked since March <strong>2018</strong>. A Member State is required by its regulations<br />
to determine the island situation for its islands, individually or for groups of islands. If<br />
there are no definitions in national laws, the Secretary Office for Islands under Euro-<br />
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pean Commission can organize a homogeneous group for all island areas and bring a<br />
unified criterion for the special situation of an island based on Art 174 TFEU. Via this<br />
EU working group the criteria for a special island situation will be regulated by the European<br />
Commission in order to prevent the development of islands that represent the<br />
peripheral region of the EU. However, the commissioners in the European Commission,<br />
which is supranational, are obliged not to represent the countries of their citizenship.<br />
They do not receive instructions from their governments, as well as from other<br />
Union institutions, but act solely in the interests of the Union. Likewise, even "the representatives<br />
of the European Parliament do not represent their Member States, they are<br />
already organized in the European political groups (the parties)." (∆apeta, T., Rodin, S.,<br />
2010, p. 28).<br />
The development of European islands belongs to the EU's program priorities of<br />
Cohesion Policy. Among the most important indicators of assessing an island's situation<br />
is its position as a relevant geographic element. Redeployment of EU funds to increase<br />
economic activities and employment on islands is linked to Article 174 TFEU on durable<br />
natural and geographic disabilities. It is about using the island potential with the<br />
help of investments. The lack of financial resources is most often referred to as the reason<br />
for limiting the implementation of any policy. Member States with islands (12) use<br />
the “geographic rate”. For example, Greek islands (over 6000 of them) apply for the<br />
rates of 16%, 9% and 5%, except Crete (Institut za javne financije, 2015).<br />
Croatia has defined the status of a remote island for Dugi otok, Vis, Lastovo and<br />
Mljet, but all Croatian islands apply for the rate of 25%. When it comes to fields fiscal<br />
or taxes differentiation, it seems useful to directly contact an island Member State with<br />
a similar situation. To identify what specific measures adopted per example Greece for<br />
their islands and to which extent Croatia could benefit from their experience. Under<br />
the conditions of the recent economic crisis Croatia has lagged the EU average against<br />
many economic indicators, reflecting on less developed areas, as well as on the islands.<br />
The contribution to a balanced island development is most often achieved by giving<br />
the benefits to islands who leg behind, which are the most distant ones from the mainland.<br />
One of the real opportunities is to go, along with the expressed policy will, initiating<br />
the procedure of amending the Directive from 2006 on a common system of value<br />
added tax. To benefit from the provisions of the taxation, and in accordance with<br />
recommendation in point no. 6 of the Resolution in matter (lower the value added tax<br />
rate for local communities and economies on the outermost islands and especially if<br />
the MS is a member of Economic Adjustment Program).<br />
References<br />
Amandman on behalf of the Committee for Regional Development, B8-0106/2016<br />
BratiÊ, V., Aktualni osvrti, no. 51 (2015), “Porez na dodanu vrijednost: promjene stopa u Hrvatskoj i<br />
trendovi u Europskoj uniji”, Institut za javne financije, Zagreb, doi: 10.3326/ao.2013.51<br />
BabiÊ, D. et al. (2004), “Otoci dviju generacija”, IMIN, Zagreb.<br />
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Bussines registers http://e-justice.europa.eu/content_business_registers_in_member_states<br />
Council Directive 2006/112/EZ on a common system of value added tax, 28. 11. 2006., L 347/1<br />
CPMR Background paper (<strong>2018</strong>), “Mapping out a EU budget for post 2020”, March <strong>2018</strong>,<br />
www.cpmr.org<br />
CPMR Islands Commision (<strong>2018</strong>), “How can the post 2020 Cohesion Policy meet EU Islands<br />
challenges?”, CPMR supporting briefing for the conference, Briefing Note, 24 April <strong>2018</strong>,<br />
European Parliament, Brussels.<br />
∆apeta, T., Rodin, S. (2010), “Osnove prava Europske unije”, (pp. 28), Narodne novine, Zagreb.<br />
Dawson, M. (2009), “Soft law and the Rule of Law in the European Union: Revision or<br />
Redundancy?” (p. 5), European University Institute, Firenze, Italy.<br />
Dowsons, W. M. (2002), “Regionalism in the European union: Key concepts and project overview”,<br />
(p. 173), European Integration, vol. 24, no. 3, Georgia State University, USA.<br />
DuplanËiÊ, T. et al. (2004), “Coast lenghts and areas of islands in the Croatian part of the Adriatic<br />
sea determined from the topographic maps at the scale of 1:25000” in Geoadria no. 9/1, (pp.<br />
5-32), Zadar.<br />
–ulabiÊ, V. (2014), “Kohezijska politika Europske unije kao instrument razvoja Hrvatske”, (pp. 17-<br />
-22), Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb.<br />
European Parliament Resolution on the special situation of islands, 2015/3014(RSP), 4. 2. 2016.,<br />
P8_TA(2016)0049<br />
EP Resolution on the next MFF: preparing the Parliament’s opinions on the MFF for the post-2020<br />
period (2017/2052(INI), P8_TA(<strong>2018</strong>)0075, A8-0048/<strong>2018</strong><br />
EGTC (EZ) Regulation concerning on clarification, simplification and improvement of the<br />
establishment and functioning of such groups, no. 1082/2006, 17. 12. 2013., L 347/303.<br />
Gulija, B. et al. (2004), “Lisabonska strategija EU”, Euroscope Apendix no. 71-13, IMO, Zagreb.<br />
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3. 2011.<br />
JuriπiÊ, M. (<strong>2018</strong>), “Bruxelles — osnovano tajniπtvo za otoke”, www.otoci.eu/author7maja)-8. 6.<br />
<strong>2018</strong>.<br />
LajiÊ, I. (2006) “Kvarnerski otoci”, IMIN, Zagreb.<br />
Magaπ, D. (2016), “Geografske posebnosti razvitka malih hrvatskih otoka”, (pp. 37), publication,<br />
University of Zadar<br />
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Europe”, CdR 30872008, (2008), Brussels, EU.<br />
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Regulation (EU) no. 1302/2013 of the European parliament and of the Council on a EGTC.<br />
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Regulation of the European parliament and of the Council laying down common provisions on the<br />
ESIF and repealing Council Regulation (EC) no. 1083/2006.<br />
RubiÊ, I. (1952), “Naπi otoci na Jadranu”, (pp. 45), overprint in publishing Ogranak Matice hrvatske<br />
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374
Luka HraniloviÊ: The Mediterranean in the hair<br />
Communication,<br />
Education, Sport
Mirela HOLY, Marija GEIGER ZEMAN, Zdenko ZEMAN<br />
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT<br />
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN:<br />
ARE MARKETING ACTIVITIES POINTING<br />
TO SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES?<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
The United Nations World Tourist Organisation (UNWTO) dedicated the year 2017 to<br />
the concept of sustainable tourism. Advocating and promoting sustainable tourism by<br />
UNWTO shows that the current forms of tourism demand, supply and consumption<br />
have damaging effects not only on the environment and nature (for example, tourism<br />
has negative impacts on climate changes) (UNWTO, 2007), but also on the economy<br />
and the social climate in many local tourist communities. According to Kreag (2001, p.<br />
9), the negative social impacts of mass tourism are numerous and different (for example,<br />
underage and excessive drinking, gambling, crime, drugs, prostitution, unwanted<br />
lifestyles changes, displacement of residents for tourism development etc.). Kreag<br />
(2001, p. 6) has outlined possible negative impacts of mass tourism on the local economies:<br />
price increases (of goods and services, land and housing, cost of living); increases<br />
in potential for imported labour and costs for additional infrastructure; increases in<br />
road maintenance and transportation systems costs; seasonal tourism creates high-risk,<br />
under- or unemployment issues and low wages; competition for land with other (higher<br />
value) economic uses and profits may be exported by owners. Although mass tourism<br />
destinations generate economic growth of the local population (OrliÊ, 2008; Marzuki,<br />
2012), the multinational companies that are owners of many tourist entities often<br />
extract the profits they have earned and do not reinvest it into local communities.<br />
Tourism is an important source of income for many Mediterranean countries that<br />
are members of the EU. For example, the total contribution of travel and tourism to<br />
Greece’s GDP amounted to 35 billion euros in 2017, which is 19.7% of the country’s<br />
GDP (World Travel & Tourism Council, <strong>2018</strong>c). The situation in Cyprus is quite similar;<br />
the total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in 2017 was 4,163.9 million euros,<br />
or 22.3% of GDP (World Travel & Tourism Council, <strong>2018</strong>b). The total contribution<br />
of travel and tourism to Slovenian GDP was 5,097.5 million euros, or 11.9% of GDP, in<br />
2017 (World Travel & Tourism Council, <strong>2018</strong>d). The total contribution of travel and<br />
tourism to Croatian GDP is higher than in Slovenia and amounted to 91,033.5 million<br />
kunas (approximately 13,743 million dollars or 12,255 million euros), or 25.0% of GDP<br />
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in 2017 (World Travel & Tourism Council, <strong>2018</strong>a). When it comes to the EU in general,<br />
the total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in 2017 was 1,848.6 billion euros<br />
(9.9% of GDP) in 2017 (World Travel & Tourism Council, <strong>2018</strong>). These figures show<br />
that the contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in Mediterranean EU countries is<br />
much higher than the EU average, and in countries like Greece, Cyprus and Croatia, it<br />
is twice as high as the EU average. Given the fact that tourism revenues depend on<br />
many factors, such a high contribution of travel and tourism to GDP of the researched<br />
Mediterranean states makes these countries extremely economically and socially vulnerable.<br />
Keeping this in mind, it is in the interest of these countries to develop tourism<br />
in a sustainable way.<br />
SUBJECTS, ISSUES, OBJECTIVES, RESEARCH QUESTIONS<br />
AND METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH<br />
The starting point of this study is insufficient research on the influence of the sustainable<br />
development concept on tourism development strategies of the Mediterranean EU<br />
countries, as well as of the presence of sustainable proclamations in promotional activities<br />
of these countries. The research focuses on tourist practises in Cyprus, Greece, Slovenia<br />
and Croatia. Research objectives and issues are the following:<br />
RO1) to determine how the mentioned countries plan and develop their tourist activities<br />
in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),<br />
RO2) to analyse how the researched countries communicate their tourism supply,<br />
RO3) to determine their tourism plans and strategies in alignment with the promotional<br />
video clips of these countries.<br />
The research was conducted by the following methods: (1) analysis of the relevant<br />
literature, (2) analysis of national tourist documents of the researched countries<br />
(RO1), (3) a questionnaire with open-ended questions for tourist officials from Cyprus,<br />
Greece, Slovenia and Croatia (RO1 and RO2), (4) analysis of the researched countries’<br />
national tourist video clips (RO3).<br />
An e-mail request for participation in the study was sent on 26 July <strong>2018</strong> to all<br />
Mediterranean EU countries (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece,<br />
Malta and Cyprus), but only relevant ministries and national tourism organizations of<br />
four countries (Greece, Croatia, Slovenia and Cyprus) replied to the e-mail request.<br />
Therefore, the research was conducted on a sample of these four countries.<br />
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND<br />
Sustainable tourism is “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic,<br />
social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the<br />
environment and host communities” (UNEP & WTO, 2005, pp. 11-12). Sustainable tourism<br />
cannot be seen as a “particular variety of tourism,” but “rather as an overriding approach<br />
to tourism development and management applicable to all segments of the<br />
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tourism industry” (Yunis, 2013, p. vii). Tourism has a special position in sustainable development<br />
because of the growth of the sector “and the major contribution that it<br />
makes to the economies” (UNEP & WTO, 2005, p. 9), but also because “tourism is an<br />
activity which involves a special relationship between consumers (visitors), the industry,<br />
the environment and local communities” (UNEP & WTO, 2005, p. 9). Tourism has<br />
“three important and unique aspects” in relationship with sustainable development: interaction,<br />
awareness and dependency. As the majority of tourists are searching for intact<br />
nature, authentic historic and cultural traditions and welcoming hosts, the tourism<br />
industry highly depends on all these attributes (UNEP & WTO, 2005, pp. 9-10). On the<br />
other hand, mass tourism has very negative effects on all three pillars of sustainable development<br />
(economic pillar — environmental pillar — social pillar). Because of the<br />
adoption of a new global sustainable development framework, the 2030 Agenda for<br />
Sustainable Development (UN, 2015) was crucial for the future of tourism.<br />
In 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development<br />
with its seventeen SDGs (UN, 2015). The EU took active part in the process<br />
of the creation and adoption of the Agenda since this document is aligned with Europe's<br />
blueprint for global sustainable development. The main tasks of the 2030 Agenda<br />
are eradication of poverty and achievement of sustainable development by 2030<br />
worldwide. The EU is fully committed to “integrate the SDGs in the European policy<br />
framework and current Commission priorities” (European Commission, 2016, pp. 2-3).<br />
Tourism is a very important sector for implementation of the SDGs and is most commonly<br />
mentioned in the context of three SDGs: decent work and economic growth, responsible<br />
consumption and production and partnerships for the goals (UNWTO &<br />
UNDP, 2017, p. 6). The importance of “the sharing of knowledge and good practices<br />
between all stakeholders” (UNWTO & UNDP, 2017, p. 20) is also emphasized as a vital<br />
prerequisite for achieving tourism’s full potential towards the SDGs. UNWTO promoted<br />
2017 as the year of sustainable tourism in hope that this would stimulate the exchange<br />
of good practices and knowledge in the field of sustainable tourism. This indicates<br />
that communication is vital for the transformation of unsustainable into sustainable<br />
tourism. UNWTO gives great importance to the role of the media in the promotion<br />
of sustainable tourism, and this importance is not reserved only for paid, earned or<br />
owned media, but for all types of media. The importance of media promotion is also<br />
visible from the increasing number of professional and scientific international conferences<br />
on media and tourism. Scientists and experts point to the mutual tripartite correlation<br />
between media, tourism and the public. The Zagreb Declaration emphasized the<br />
need for publishing quality information and positioning tourism in the media as a driver<br />
for economic growth, employment and sustainable development (GavranoviÊ, 2015,<br />
p. 14). However, sustainability communication in tourism can serve as a greenwashing<br />
instrument, so it is crucial that national tourism development strategies are completely<br />
aligned with communication activities. If a country communicates its tourism as sustainable,<br />
but its national tourism development strategy is directed towards mass tourism,<br />
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then these types of promotional activities can be assumed as greenwashing. Dahl<br />
(2010, p. 247) claims that use of greenwashing “has escalated sharply in recent years<br />
as companies have strived to meet escalating consumer demand for greener products<br />
and services.” This trend is not recognized only by companies, but also by countries<br />
that “pack” their promotional tourism activities into a sustainable context. Such cases<br />
can be found even in countries that are considered examples of well-organized and responsible<br />
states (Aall, 2014). Even the alignment of strategic political documents with<br />
promotional communication activities doesn’t have to indicate the country's commitment<br />
to a sustainable tourism transition. However, alignment of promotion and political<br />
documents is an important indicator of political commitment to the transition towards<br />
sustainable tourism. Berno & Bricker (2001, p. 14) argue that sustainable tourism<br />
development commonly represents two approaches: one which argues that “sustainable<br />
development is a myth and that it is impossible to promote tourism whilst at<br />
the same time maintaining a good quality environment,” and the other which “accepts<br />
that tourism is potentially destructive, however, acknowledges that tourism will continue<br />
to be a significant global phenomenon.” Despite these opposing views, positive examples<br />
from sustainable tourism practice show that realizing this vision is possible.<br />
RESEARCH RESULTS<br />
National Tourism Strategies and SDGs<br />
Three of the four researched countries have tourism development strategies that are<br />
thoroughly or partly available in English. According to Greek tourism officials, Greece<br />
doesn’t have one single tourism document. In order to implement the nine key-strategic<br />
sustainable goals, Greece has designed and is implementing a significant number<br />
of political actions which cover a wide range of issues associated with investment regulation,<br />
human resources, businesses, digitalization, infrastructures, promotion and development<br />
of sustainable high value-added tourist activities. In their questionnaire responses,<br />
Greek officials emphasized that sustainability issues and the 2030 Agenda play<br />
a key role in Greece’s tourism policy. Their strategic tourism goals are: (1) promotion<br />
of Greece as a “global attractive, safe, destination 365 days a year,” (2) increasing the<br />
tourism sector’s contribution to GDP, (3) increasing revenues per visitor, (4) upgrading<br />
the tourist product, services and infrastructure, (5) extension of the summer season and<br />
strengthening of the winter one, (6) promotion of the competitive advantages of new<br />
Greek destinations, (7) development of thematic tourism — creation of new thematic<br />
products, (8) entering new foreign markets and (9) attracting high value-added investments<br />
in tourism.<br />
Slovenia has adopted the Strategy for Sustainable Growth of Slovenian Tourism for<br />
2017—2021 (Republic of Slovenia/Ministry of Economic Development and Technology,<br />
2017). The main goal of the Slovenian strategy is to position Slovenia as a green,<br />
active and healthy destination offering five-star experiences. However, the key target<br />
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of the Slovenian strategy is “to increase international tourism receipts to 3.7-4 billion<br />
euros,” while other targets include “5-5.5 million tourist visits; 16-18 million overnight<br />
stays; average length of stay 3.1-3.4 days; 18,000-22,000 new tourist rooms, of which<br />
8,500 will be renovated and 6,500 will be new rooms in the hotel sector; to increase<br />
full-time employment in the tourism sector to 12,000 employees” (2017, p. 12). All these<br />
targets are not aligned with the vision of “a tourism system that encourages qualitative<br />
development, with a focus on quality of life and well-being measures, but not aggregate<br />
quantitative growth to the detriment of natural capital” (Hall, 2010, p. 137). Slovenian<br />
officials claim that sustainability is the main pillar of Slovenian tourism. They provide<br />
support for the preservation and protection of natural and cultural assets and heritage<br />
as well as for responsible and sustainable tourism revaluation.<br />
Croatia adopted the Tourism Development Strategy in 2013 that is valid until 2020<br />
(The Government of the Republic of Croatia, 2013). This Strategy was adopted before<br />
the 2030 Agenda and the seventeen SDGs, but sustainability still plays an important role<br />
in the Strategy. The sustainable development of tourism is recognized as a necessity<br />
and is based on the quality of the environment as an important part of the tourist experience.<br />
It states that “the desirable development of Croatian tourism demands resource<br />
management that meets the requirements of the basic economic, social and aesthetic<br />
criteria for sustainable trading in the long-term, as well as growth of prosperity,<br />
preservation of cultural integrity and vital ecology systems and bio-diversity” (2013, p.<br />
28). Sustainability commitment is present in the basic principles of strategy, in the requirements<br />
for action plans, and the development of specific ecotourism and social<br />
tourism products is envisaged. The Strategy argues that it is “estimated that around 3%<br />
of international travel is motivated by ecotourism, and it is supported by the growing<br />
awareness on ecology by the consumer; thus this product is showing strong growth at<br />
between 10-20% per annum,” but “despite availability, attractiveness and preservation<br />
of natural resources, ecotourism is still underdeveloped in Croatia” (2013, p. 9-10). According<br />
to Croatian officials, green or ecotourism has been highlighted as one of the<br />
ten major products of Croatian tourism. This claim can suggest that sustainable tourism<br />
is seen as a “particular variety of tourism.”<br />
And finally, Cyprus’ new tourism strategy — The Cyprus Tourism Strategy 2030<br />
(Republic of Cyprus/Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism, 2017) — has<br />
recently been completed, but its implementation has not yet begun since the execution<br />
of a number of relevant studies, the preparation of implementation plans as well as<br />
public consultation processes have yet to be completed. Sustainability has a prominent<br />
position in the new Cyprus tourism strategy as it defines: (1) Cyprus as a year-round<br />
sustainable destination receiving 4.8 million international tourists (40% of arrivals targeted<br />
for the period from November to April), (2) setting up a Wise Tourism Index that<br />
will serve as a tool to recognize and reward tourism players that have adopted ecologically,<br />
socially, and culturally sustainable practices in Cyprus, (3) considering the effect<br />
that CO2 has on the environment and on climate change, national tourism authorities<br />
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will establish guidelines that contribute to minimising the carbon footprint generated<br />
by tourism activity, (4) introducing the Cyprus Quality Label System as a voluntary thematic<br />
label system that should also include provisions about sustainability and (5) special<br />
interest products/segments: the “contribution to sustainability” was among the variables<br />
considered to assess how competitive Cyprus is for each special interest product/segment.<br />
The vision of the Cyprus Tourism Strategy indicates that more focus is<br />
placed on quantitative growth than on qualitative development (p. 14).<br />
All the aforementioned strategies lead to the conclusion that Greece, Slovenia,<br />
Croatia and Cyprus have ambition to develop their tourism activities in line with the<br />
SDGs, that is, more sustainably. However, it can also be concluded that researched<br />
states consider sustainable tourism as a “particular variety of tourism” (Yunis, 2013, p.<br />
vii), not as a mainstream approach to tourism, and that these countries view the economic<br />
aspect of tourism sustainability from the position of quantity. This can indicate<br />
insufficient understanding of the sustainable tourism concept.<br />
Promotional Marketing of Tourism<br />
Below are the responses given by tourist officials of the researched countries about the<br />
promotional marketing mix and the communication strategies they use. Greece’s tourism<br />
supply is conveyed through multiple communication channels and marketing tools,<br />
such as press relations, traditional commercials, brochures and diverse online communication<br />
tools (web sites, social media, blogs, newsletters and image bank). The Greek<br />
National Tourism Organization has organized press trips for journalists and often issues<br />
general press releases or press releases written for specific markets. Traditional advertising<br />
campaigns are communicated to specific markets and market segments using traditional<br />
media channels. Tourism brochures are issued in order to introduce new thematic<br />
products, to update existing ones or to target a specific market. Online communication<br />
is based on the official tourism web portal where Greece’s tourism supply is<br />
presented per region/destination and per tourism product. Travel information and important<br />
upcoming events are presented not only on websites but on various blogs as<br />
well. The Greek National Tourism Organization communicates via social media and<br />
other platforms with thousands of followers on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, You-<br />
Tube, Pinterest and Google+. Newsletters are issued monthly and mainly consist of<br />
product presentations and upcoming events.<br />
In 2017, the Slovenian tourist board organized 140 business events in thirty countries,<br />
holding 13,000 business meetings. We will name some of the major events that<br />
have made an impact on Slovenian tourism. As the Convention and Culture Partner at<br />
ITB Berlin 2017, Slovenia was successful at creating new partnerships. A number of<br />
events were held in Slovenia. Slovenia also hosted a major international event, the Lufthansa<br />
City Centre General Assembly, and has become a member of the elite global<br />
network Virtuoso. With the launching and implementation of a new global digital campaign<br />
called “Slovenia. Make New Memories,” over 117 million people have been<br />
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reached. The first transfer of the Tour of Slovenia cycling race reached 113 million<br />
viewers in more than ninety nine countries via Eurosport. The ‘Discover Slovenia’ campaign<br />
(Europe's best-kept secret) was prepared in co-operation with Expedia, the largest<br />
global online booking company, with the aim of increasing the possibility of choosing<br />
Slovenia as a tourist destination in the low season. The efforts to intensify and upgrade<br />
communication on social networks have resulted in a substantial increase in the<br />
number of followers on Facebook (+32%), Twitter (+26%) and Instagram (+183%). Digital<br />
catalogues and publications in seventeen foreign languages have been published<br />
in a circulation of 850,000 copies. The global visibility of Slovenia has increased as a<br />
result of study visits from more than 400 journalists and influential persons, as well as<br />
by intensive media coverage in the most prominent large-scale media channels.<br />
The Croatian National Tourist Board usually has four main campaigns during the<br />
year: two brand campaigns (in January and April) and two Pay-Per-Click campaigns advertised<br />
before and after the tourist season (in March and August). Advertising is done<br />
both online and offline. The Croatian National Tourist Board has produced several video<br />
materials adapted to different markets to promote various forms of tourism. The<br />
Tourist Board highlighted the umbrella video project created in 2015 as part of the Full<br />
of Life communication concept. As a part of the project, the promotional video “Ambassadors<br />
of Croatian Tourism” won the prestigious Travel Video Awards in the category<br />
“Best Video by a Tourism Organization.” The video was selected by a professional<br />
and representative jury of the Citizine Network and the National Association of<br />
Broadcasters. Croatian officials consider the intact nature and landscape to be the main<br />
point of differentiation of the image of Croatia as a tourist destination. Croatian tourism<br />
is also promoted at exhibitions and fairs, via athletes, at various events, press trips,<br />
social media activities, and by creating and sharing additional content such as photographs,<br />
video materials, brochures, souvenirs etc.<br />
Cyprus also uses various channels for their tourism promotion, such as printed and<br />
electronic advertisements, brochures, promotional videos on YouTube, web sites, social<br />
media, etc.<br />
Research of communication activities has shown that for the promotion of tourism<br />
all the examined countries use integrated marketing communication, which is in line<br />
with current world trends. Using promotional mix as a marketing strategy, all countries<br />
utilize traditional outdoor and video advertising, public relations activities (dominantly<br />
media relations, events and press trips), direct marketing and digital communication<br />
(web and community management) and personal sales through participation at tourism<br />
fairs.<br />
Analysis of Promotional Video Clips<br />
Greece’s tourism video clip is available at https://www.youtube.com/user/visitgreecegr<br />
and is named “Greek Tourism. An eternal journey!”. This video clip is the longest of<br />
the analysed clips and lasts 4 minutes 13 seconds. The video’s main focus is on the<br />
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country’s 3,000 year-long tradition, on the Greeks as great dreamers, travellers and<br />
hosts — like Odysseus, Herodotus and Pausanias. Tourism is presented as an idea originally<br />
created by the Greeks to wander and wonder, and these facts are linked to traditional<br />
sites like Olympia, Athens, Delphi, Delos and Epidaurus. Tourism is presented<br />
as the oldest Greek industry, the dream industry, and reminds viewers of the historical<br />
development of tourism in Greece with 10,000 tourists in 1914 to 17.5 million tourists<br />
in 2014. Greece is represented as an authentic and ideal destination: the sea, olive trees,<br />
temples, picturesque villages, mountains, beautiful beaches, lights. It is recalled that<br />
Lord Byron, Henry Miller and Herman Melville were fascinated with Greece and that<br />
Protagoras claimed that man was a measure of all things, and that things are measured<br />
by the heart in Greece. Hospitality is the oldest Greek art because guests are deemed<br />
sacred to the Greek people. Greek music, dance, food and friendship are also highlighted.<br />
Finally, Greece is presented as a small piece of heaven on Earth. There are<br />
plenty of images displaying historical sites combined with smiling people and beautiful,<br />
untouched nature, which suggests that the Greek National Tourism Organization<br />
emphasizes sustainability as an important part of Greece’s tourism. However, highlighting<br />
17.5 million tourists in 2014 also points to quantitative growth, which is not in line<br />
with the principles of sustainability.<br />
The Croatian tourist video clip can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/<br />
watch?v=Tz_E3yPif18 and is named “Full of Life,” which has been the communication<br />
concept of Croatian tourism since 2015. The duration of the video is one minute. Below<br />
the video there is a short text reminding us that in order to feel truly happy and<br />
fulfilled, we should fill our days with life and the good things life has to offer, like good<br />
food, beautiful landscapes, relaxing environments and charming people. Croatia is<br />
bursting with experiences, places and different Mediterranean lifestyles. In accordance<br />
with this description, the viewer follows the journey of a young and beautiful woman<br />
from her bedroom to beautiful sites in Croatia (sailing and swimming in the Adriatic<br />
Sea, beaches, restaurants, dancing, historical sites, cycling in nature, rafting, mountain<br />
climbing, etc.). The music in this clip is more dynamic and cheerful than than in the<br />
Greek one, the shifting of frames is much faster, and there is less text than in the Greek<br />
video. It can be concluded that Croatia highlights a combination between slow food<br />
and slow consummation of historical sites with dynamic physical activities like cycling,<br />
sailing, swimming and hiking. Focus is placed far more on tourists and on untouched<br />
nature than on hosts, culture and history, but this is in accordance with the goals of<br />
the Croatian Tourism Development Strategy.<br />
The Slovenian tourist video clip is available at https://www.youtube.com/<br />
watch?v=YZRM1guRKfY and is titled “Slovenia. Make New Memories” and lasts 1<br />
minute 30 seconds. The video portrays views of Slovenian cultural and natural attractions<br />
with scenes of visitors sailing and surfboarding, cycling, playing golf, enjoying<br />
pastries and gastronomic delights, playing with sand on the beach, jumping and swimming<br />
in pools, wandering through markets and towns, enjoying massages, wild river<br />
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rafting, mountain climbing and enjoying beautiful sunsets. As a part of the video, positive<br />
comments from tourists are also presented. The music is not as dynamic as in the<br />
Croatian clip, and it has a note of melancholy. However, the content of the Slovenian<br />
and Croatian video clips is similar in combining images of active holidays with scenes<br />
of preserved or untouched nature and cultural monuments. It can be concluded that<br />
the Slovenian video is also aligned with their tourism strategy.<br />
Cyprus’ tourist video clip is available at https://www.youtube.com/user/visitcyprus/<br />
and is named ‘Cyprus in Your Heart,’ lasting thirty seconds. Viewers are presented<br />
with beautiful people enjoying sandy beaches and swimming in the sea and swimming<br />
pools, popular historical sites, traditional food, luxurious restaurants and hotels,<br />
bustling night life and romantic sunsets. Since this promotional tourist video is from<br />
2013, it is not aligned with Cyprus’ new sustainable tourism strategy. Officials from Cyprus<br />
explained that sustainability in the country’s promotional activities is displayed<br />
where special forms of tourism are advertised, and the content of such advertisements<br />
may include messages pertaining to sustainability. This means that sustainability is not<br />
included in Cyprus’ main promotional tourist video.<br />
This part of our research showed that promotional tourist activities of the explored<br />
countries are partially aligned with the strategic vision of sustainable tourism development.<br />
Sustainability is not the main denominator, nor is it the key marketing concept<br />
in the researched national promotional video clips. Sustainability serves as one of the<br />
elements of tourism promotion, not as the leading factor. It can be concluded that the<br />
researched video promotion activities are aligned with the notion that sustainability is<br />
seen as one type of tourism, as an activity that can stimulate the quantitative growth of<br />
tourism.<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
All the researched countries claim that their tourism strategies or policies are consistent<br />
with the SDGs, and an analysis of their strategies shows that these countries are indeed<br />
trying to develop their tourism activities in line with the SDGs. However, all four<br />
countries plan to increase their income from tourism, which indicates orientation towards<br />
quantity rather than quality. Although Greek representatives claim that sustainability<br />
plays a key role in their tourism policy, this was impossible to verify because they<br />
weren’t able to provide documents that would confirm these statements. All the countries<br />
use integrated communication in promotion, have national videos broadcast on<br />
targeted markets, intensively use digital forms of communication, but also use traditional<br />
forms of advertising through videos and adverts in print media. They also use public<br />
relations, dominantly press releases, to create media coverage tailored to targeted<br />
markets and organize press trips for foreign journalists. However, it is apparent that<br />
sustainability is not a key argument for tourism promotion, but is used for promotion<br />
on specific markets or for specific forms of tourism. An analysis of national tourist videos<br />
has shown that pure nature, the beauty of untouched landscapes and promotion<br />
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of sustainable tourism practices, predominantly bicycling, play an important role in<br />
Croatia’s and Slovenia’s video clips. Greece’s promotional video puts great emphasis<br />
on history, culture and tradition as well as on the social interaction between hosts and<br />
guests, which is also in line with the idea of sustainable tourism. The analysed countries<br />
don’t use greenwashing methods in promotion. And finally, analysis has shown<br />
that promotional marketing activities of the researched states are partially aligned with<br />
the strategic vision of sustainable tourism development, but there is still plenty of space<br />
to increase sustainable content both in national tourism development strategies as well<br />
as in their promotional activities.<br />
References<br />
Aall, C. (2014). Sustainable Tourism in Practice: Promoting or Perverting the Quest for a Sustainable<br />
Development. Sustainability, 6(5), 2562-2583. doi:10.3390/su6052562<br />
Berno, T. & Bricker, K. (2001). Sustainable Tourism Development. The Long Road From Theory to<br />
Practice. International Journal of Economic Development, 3(3), 1-18.<br />
Croatia — Full of Life (2015). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz_E3yPif18<br />
Cyprus in your heart (2013). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIcTDV7Cqsc<br />
Dahl, R. (2010). Green washing: Do you know what you’re buying? Environmental Health<br />
Perspectives, 118(6), a246-a252. doi: 10.1289/ehp.118-a246<br />
European Commission (2016). Next steps for a sustainable European future, European action for<br />
sustainability. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/sites/devco/files/communicationnext-steps-sustainable-europe-20161122_en.pdf<br />
GavranoviÊ, A. (2015). Mediji, turizam, javnost. Zagreb: VP© Libertas.<br />
Greek Tourism. An eternal journey! (2014). Retrieved from<br />
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpKlUIDf4oY<br />
Hall, C. M. (2010). Changing Paradigms and Global Change: From Sustainable to Steady-state<br />
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Kreag, G. (2001). The impacts of tourism. Retrieved from<br />
http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/tourism/pdfs/ImpactsTourism.pdf<br />
Marzuki, A. (2012). Local residents’ perceptions towards economic impacts of tourism development<br />
in Phuket. Turizam, 60(2), 199-212.<br />
OrliÊ, I. (2008). Utjecaj masovnog turizma na domicilno stanovniπtvo Poreπtine u doba socijalizma.<br />
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Republic of Cyprus/Ministry of energy, commerce, industry and tourism (2017). Cyprus Tourism<br />
Strategy. Retrieved from<br />
http://www.mcit.gov.cy/mcit/mcit.nsf/CDF3979F7DFBA8BCC22581BC002FCEAB/$file/2%20%C<br />
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UserDocsImages/arhiva/Tourism_development_strategy_2020.pdf<br />
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Svea KR©UL, Silvana FRATRI∆ KUNAC, Branka ©UPUT<br />
AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENT LEARNING<br />
EXPERIENCE ON A FIELD TRIP TO<br />
THE ISLAND OF VIS<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
Teachers and educators have always strived to find new ways to transfer knowledge<br />
more effectively. Over time, many theories have been developed to help us understand<br />
the ways in which students acquire knowledge and develop skills.<br />
Education based on experiential learning is not a new concept. Around 450 BC<br />
Confucius said, “Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me,<br />
and I will understand.”<br />
Maria Montessori supported the idea that “education is a natural process spontaneously<br />
carried out by the human individual and is acquired not by listening to words,<br />
but by experiences upon the environment” (Montessori, 2007, p. 6), while Dewey<br />
(1897, p. 79) claimed that “education is a process of living and not a preparation for<br />
future living.”<br />
Building upon earlier work by John Dewey and Kurt Levin, American educational<br />
theorist David A. Kolb (1984, p. 38) claimed that “learning is the process whereby<br />
knowledge is created through the transformation of experience.”<br />
Kolb’s experiential learning theory (https://www.learning-theories.com) is represented<br />
by a four-stage learning cycle: Concrete Experience (or “do”), Reflective Observation<br />
(or “observe”), Abstract Conceptualization (or “think”) and Active Experimentation<br />
(or “plan”).<br />
The aim of this article is to analyze student learning experience on a field trip and<br />
the benefits of field trips as a type of experiential learning.<br />
Field trips take students out of the classroom to new locations and provide them<br />
with the opportunity to learn in a new environment that cannot be created in the classroom.<br />
Students are engaged and get to observe and experience the new environment,<br />
which in turn enables them to create their own personal experience. However, in order<br />
to be successful, a field trip requires careful planning and preparation both on the<br />
part of the teacher as well as the students.<br />
Tal and Morag (2009) described field trips as student experiences outside of the<br />
classroom at interactive locations designed for educational purposes.<br />
Field trips can have various purposes. Behrendt and Franklin (2014) list some of<br />
them, such as providing first-hand experience, stimulating interest and motivation, add-<br />
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ing relevance to learning and interrelationships, strengthening observation and perception<br />
skills and promoting personal (social) development.<br />
METHODOLOGY<br />
Participants<br />
The field trip described in this paper was organised for students attending Academic<br />
writing course at VERN’ University of Applied Sciences. It lasted from May 20 to 27,<br />
<strong>2018</strong>, and was attended by nine public relations students and seven journalism students.<br />
There were thirteen female and three male participants. Academic writing is a<br />
third-year elective course for VERN’ students of Public Relations and the Media as well<br />
as Journalism Studies. The final grade in this course is based on students’ active participation<br />
in class activities and a process portfolio that comprises five essay types: descriptive,<br />
narrative, comparison-contrast, opinion and cause-and-effect essays. Throughout<br />
the course, relevant vocabulary and structures for each of the essay types are practiced<br />
in class, followed by the analysis of essay organization and brainstorming of ideas<br />
for the particular essay, resulting in writing the outline and the first draft. Students hand<br />
in their first drafts at the end of each class and the teacher collects and reads them, indicating<br />
language mistakes as well as giving suggestions regarding the organization of<br />
essays and writing style. Students write the final versions of their essays out of class,<br />
taking into consideration the suggestions and guidelines given. Process portfolios that<br />
the students compile by the end of the course contain both the first drafts and the final<br />
versions of each essay type.<br />
Preparation for the Field Trip<br />
Since ten teaching hours of Academic Writing take place on the island of Vis, which<br />
accounts for one-third of the total teaching hours, decisions had to be made regarding<br />
the lesson plans and teaching methods that would enhance the integration of the field<br />
trip into the curriculum. After careful consideration, it was decided to dedicate our time<br />
on the island to writing a narrative essay on the topic of the island of Vis itself, based<br />
on the students’ personal experience. To analyse how meaningful the field trip context<br />
might be for the students’ learning experience, we devised and conducted two questionnaires<br />
anonymously prior to the field trip. One was a semantic differential scale<br />
with pairs of opposite adjectives showing the students’ attitudes towards Vis. The other<br />
one was a quiz testing the knowledge of the facts about the island.<br />
Activities During the Field Trip<br />
The first class on the island was used for secondary research. Students were grouped<br />
into teams and conducted online research on three topics: the British cultural influence<br />
on the island, Vis during World War Two and Vis facts. This was followed by a military<br />
tour of the island which provided the students with a hands-on experience of the<br />
topics they had researched the previous day. During the brainstorming and outlining<br />
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steps of the narrative essay writing process, we focused on how personal experiences<br />
can change our feelings and opinions. We discussed the extent to which such experience<br />
affects the level of knowledge, our memory, attitudes, interests and values. Regarding<br />
the language required to write this type of an essay, we concentrated on narrative<br />
tenses and on showing sequence in narrative essays. Otherwise, the regular procedure<br />
of delivering the first draft and writing the final version of the essay was followed,<br />
taking into consideration the teacher’s suggestions. On the last day, the students<br />
completed the same semantic differential scale and fact quiz as they had before the trip.<br />
The fact that both public relations and journalism students took part in the field<br />
trip resulted in an added value to their learning experience. Academic Writing was the<br />
only course the journalism students attended on the island, whereas PR students also<br />
attended Public Relations for Tourism and Sport where they worked on another project.<br />
Their task was to organize a sponsor evening and the main event, which was the presentation<br />
of student teams on how to promote Vis as a tourist destination. Journalism<br />
students were assigned the task to collect information and report on the mentioned<br />
events for the VERN’ website, while the PR students needed to generate media coverage<br />
of the events they organised. Therefore, the students had to work closely together<br />
in a context that was very similar to their professional real-life situations.<br />
In addition to visiting places on the island, students also attended a speech event<br />
given by the mayor of Vis and by the head of the Town of Vis Tourist Board. The students<br />
actively participated at the event with numerous questions to both of the speakers.<br />
They also had the opportunity to hear about the then aspiring UNESCO Geopark<br />
Vis Archipelago and learn about the natural characteristics of the island. The seven-day<br />
academic field trip was finished off with a boat round trip of the island and a visit to<br />
the Blue Cave.<br />
Students’ Reflections About the Field Trip<br />
The last day of the field trip was also the end of the course, which meant that there<br />
was no opportunity for follow-up activities back in the classroom. However, the narrative<br />
essays written by the students at the end of the trip provided an opportunity for<br />
some of the students to reflect upon their field trip experience. All of the students<br />
worked eagerly on their essays and were more motivated to write them this time than<br />
earlier in the course. Most of their essays this time around were more creative, personal<br />
and engaged, which was evident from the creative titles of some of the essays: “My<br />
VISland experience”, “VISionari”, “Rediscovering Peace and Creativity on Vis”, “Spiders<br />
and Bugs and all the Things Nice”, “Meeting a New Friend”, “A Paradisiacal Week”, “Vis<br />
— the Island of Happiness.” What all the essays have in common is the obvious importance<br />
the students give to their field trip experience. The reasons why they found<br />
the experience to be a memorable one range from Vis being “a friendly, quiet place<br />
with kind inhabitants where you can disconnect from everything” to the island’s “culture<br />
and scenery being mesmerizing.” One student’s “creativity went wild” and she got<br />
up in the middle of the night to jot down some ideas for her final essay. Another stu-<br />
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dent wrote how she overcame her fear of bugs in the darkness of the underground tunnels<br />
due to her interest and love of mystery. Two students wrote explicitly about how<br />
this experience helped them to learn and discover something about themselves. One<br />
essay’s final sentence reads: “Also, we learned a lot about the island of Vis, but the<br />
most important thing is we learned a lot about ourselves while doing the tasks we were<br />
given.” Perhaps this is that added value, that benefit of field trips, which makes it<br />
worthwhile to hit the road with your students.<br />
Teacher’s Reflection on the Field Trip<br />
A lot of time and effort has to be put in organizing a meaningful field trip that is related<br />
to the curriculum. Nevertheless, once you realize how involved and motivated your<br />
students are and how much they enjoy the whole experience, it all pays off. One of<br />
the students wrote in her essay that she was impressed how the other students really<br />
wanted to be involved in the project, and she expressed hope that their bond would<br />
grow stronger and continue after the trip itself. The fact that this extended academic<br />
field trip takes place on an island might also contribute to the closer relationship between<br />
the teachers and the students resulting in a togetherness that lingers on even<br />
when we meet again in the university hallways. It is difficult to describe the level of<br />
the students’ commitment to team work and the strong bond that developed among<br />
them during the field trip. Perhaps this is best expressed in one of the students’ sentences<br />
from her narrative essay: “It cannot be described. It must be experienced.”<br />
RESEARCH GOALS<br />
The main goal of this research was to establish to what extent and in what way this<br />
field trip experience changed the students’ knowledge, attitudes and motivation, i.e., to<br />
examine student-learning experience in both cognitive and affective domains. Our objectives<br />
were to compare student attitudes and knowledge about Vis before the field<br />
trip to those after the trip as well as to analyse their personal experience in terms of<br />
their expectations prior to the field trip and the motivational level.<br />
METHODS<br />
Pre- and post-field trip surveys were conducted anonymously on sixteen respondents<br />
using a semantic differential scale and a Vis facts quiz. The semantic differential scale<br />
was constructed and used in order to measure student attitudes towards Vis and compare<br />
the results before and after the field trip. The scale was comprised of twenty items<br />
with bipolar descriptors coded from 3 to 0 on each side (0- neutral; 1 — slightly x or<br />
slightly y; 2 — mostly x or mostly y; 3 — very x or very y). Students were asked to assess<br />
how they felt about the island of Vis by circling the appropriate number on the<br />
scale. The Vis facts quiz consisted of eighteen factual questions about the island. All<br />
the questions had a common beginning: “Write what you know about...” At the end of<br />
the field trip students wrote narrative essays in which they reflected upon their personal<br />
learning experience.<br />
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S. Krπul, S. FratriÊ Kunac, B. ©uput: An Analysis of Student Learning Experience...<br />
Figure 1 Mean scores on semantic differential scale before and after the field trip<br />
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION<br />
In order to determine to what extent and how this field trip experience changed the<br />
students’ attitudes towards the island of Vis, the total sample (N= 16) of results on the<br />
semantic differential scale were analyzed both before and after the field trip. Mean<br />
scores were calculated for each item of the semantic differential scale and the differences<br />
among them were compared depending on the results before and after the visit.<br />
The mean scores for twenty bipolar items are shown in Figure 1.<br />
As can be seen, some items gained more extreme attitude assessments (at both<br />
ends of the scale) than others, i.e., the attitudes about some specific characteristics of<br />
the object were more expressed. For instance, this refers to the following attributes:<br />
positive (before M=2.07; after M=2.81), interesting (Mb=2.31; Ma=2.88), beautiful<br />
(Mb=2.25; Ma=2.81), optimistic (Mb=2.31; Ma=2.88), friendly (Mb=1.75; Ma=2.75).<br />
Some adjective pairs did not have clear negative or positive words, and therefore it<br />
should be considered whether participants negatively or positively valued the characteristic<br />
they were asked about. Based on the culture or context of the study, participants<br />
may have imbued the same attitude object with positive or negative characteristics.<br />
For instance, some students may have perceived words like ‘traditional,’ ‘simple’<br />
or ‘slow’ positively, whereas some of them may have perceived them negatively. Consequently,<br />
it remains unclear for several attitudes and certain adjectives whether particular<br />
participants valued them positively or negatively. Significant differences between<br />
mean scores in pre- and post- measuring on the semantic differential scale were found<br />
for 8 items, (p
Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
more positive attitudes during the trip. Significant differences between mean scores before<br />
and after the field trip are shown in Figure 2.<br />
Figure 2 Significant differences on the semantic differential scale before and after the field trip<br />
Items Mean B Mean A T-test (p)<br />
Positive/Negative 2.07 2.81 p
S. Krπul, S. FratriÊ Kunac, B. ©uput: An Analysis of Student Learning Experience...<br />
Figure 3 Total scores and means on Vis facts quiz before and after the field trip<br />
The students’ increase in knowledge about the island is notable from the results<br />
of the Vis facts quiz because they achieved eight points higher score on average in the<br />
second measuring after the field trip programme.<br />
Furthermore, the analysis of student content and quality of narrative essays written<br />
on the island compared to those in the traditional classroom environment reveals<br />
new approaches and different styles in writing, thinking, creativity, engagement, commitment,<br />
motivation etc.<br />
Students probably embarked on the field trip experience with a different mindset<br />
than they showed afterwards. It can be assumed that the whole experience emotionally<br />
impacted the students in a positive way and influenced both the cognitive and affective<br />
domains of learning.<br />
In this case, the learning experience and outcomes seemed to have been effective<br />
in conveying information to the students. It implicates a profound effect of the field trip<br />
on the students’ viewpoints as well as on their creating, recalling and using episodic<br />
memories.<br />
In this context, the role of the teacher should be emphasized because the teacher<br />
must be a facilitator in order to promote learning. They have to lay the foundation<br />
for students to become actively involved in the learning process and enable students<br />
to experience how theoretical knowledge is applied to practical knowledge.<br />
These findings are in line with some previous research indicating that positive<br />
emotions facilitate memorizing, thinking and responding in a more constructive and<br />
flexible manner to important information about themselves and the environment<br />
(MiljkoviÊ & Rijavec, 2009).<br />
Of course, other benefits should also be considered such as the social context of<br />
the field trip, which can encourage collaboration between students and teachers, team<br />
building, self-awareness and other personal and social skills.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Future research based on field trips, their role within experiential learning and<br />
their impact on student learning experience could examine more closely the interests<br />
of the participants themselves prior to the field trip with the purpose of including them<br />
in the field trip organization. Regarding follow-up activities, we would recommend a<br />
debriefing discussion where the participants would have the opportunity to reflect upon<br />
the experience by sharing their views with other participants.<br />
References<br />
Behrendt, M. & Franklin T. (2014). A review of research on school field trips and their value in<br />
education. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 9(3), 235-245. doi:<br />
10.12973/ijese.2014.213a<br />
David L., “Experiential Learning (Kolb)”, in Learning Theories, February 13, 2007,<br />
https://www.learning-theories.com/experiential-learning-kolb.html<br />
Dewey, J. (1897). My Pedagogic Creed. The School Journal LIV, 3, 77-80<br />
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development.,<br />
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc.<br />
MiljkoviÊ, D. & Rijavec, M. (2009). Vaænost pozitivnih emocija u odgoju i obrazovanju. Napredak,<br />
150 (3-4), 488-506. Available at https://hrcak.srce.hr/82831<br />
Montessori, M. (2007). Education for a New World: The Montessori Series, Vol. 5. Laren:<br />
Montessori-Pierson Publishing Co.<br />
396
Mirela MÜLLER<br />
THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON<br />
THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM AND<br />
THE PREVENTION OF EMIGRATION OF<br />
THE YOUNG GENERATION<br />
— EXAMPLE OF OKRUG GORNJI ON<br />
THE ISLAND OF »IOVO<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
One of the eight main competences for lifelong education is the development of digital<br />
competence, which is one of the most important instruments in accomplishing goals<br />
against poverty and social exclusion. As a long-term goal in the economic and social<br />
progress of a country, initiatives for securing multiple IT education programs should also<br />
be set up. According to the Croatian Education, Science and Technology Strategy<br />
(2013), the concept of lifelong learning is regarded as the basis of education and the<br />
bettering of lifelong education. Along with the strategic planning of the European Union,<br />
the mentioned strategy proposes measures and goals whose achievements are expected<br />
to be reached by 2025. 1 International Literacy Day 2010 was devoted to emphasizing<br />
the importance of key competences in the context of the fight against poverty<br />
and social exclusion. The aim was to show that key competences are an important instrument<br />
for achieving a broad spectrum of, ranging from decreasing the economic crisis<br />
consequences and increasing employment (especially on Croatia’s islands and peninsulas)<br />
to those related to improving and promoting inclusiveness as the principles of<br />
education policy. It was all done with the aim of increasing employment, especially of<br />
young people in order to prevent migration. It was also done in order to increase the<br />
development of tourism for the growth of sustainable development and the economy<br />
of Dalmatia, especially on the peninsula Okrug Gornji (»iovo). Great development of<br />
tourism has been recorded in the last few years thanks to new technologies, preventing<br />
the departure of youth. The best example of using new technologies is the E-Visitor<br />
system — a variety of mobile Internet applications for the capacity of tourist units.<br />
In the last two years, the Okrug district has organized trainings for all rental owners interested<br />
in learning about using new ICT technologies for tourism development as well<br />
1 HAZU, Declaration on Knowledge, 2002; vs. Belch (2005).<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
as courses for learning foreign languages, such as German, English, etc. The training<br />
lasts one or two weeks, depending on the needs of the rental owners. The aim of the<br />
program was to enable the participants (holiday rental owners) to acquire new multimedia<br />
competences with the development of digital literacy and to acquire e-learning<br />
in the process of the technical-method development. Furthermore, the aim was also for<br />
rental owners to acquire basic knowledge in the process of multimedia foreign-language<br />
learning in order to enhance the development of tourism in the Okrug peninsula.<br />
The aim was for them to be able to earn higher income during the peak season that<br />
would increase their quality of life during the winter, therefore preventing the young<br />
generation from emigrating. This type of program can be an example for other peninsulas<br />
and Dalmatian islands because it emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach for the<br />
purpose of facilitating the adaptation of educational and research processes and the development<br />
of sustainable tourism. This also enables better quality and monitoring in<br />
EU strategic planning, as set out in the document on the strategic planning for lifelong<br />
education and exploration space. Taking all of this into consideration, it can be concluded<br />
that there is a strong link between adult education and the tourism economy.<br />
For this reason, the purpose of this paper was to investigate the importance of technologies<br />
for tourism development and the preventing the emigration of youth from the<br />
Okrug Gornji district. The main goal of this work was to think about tourism in a new<br />
way, but also to determine its link with the branch of education of adults . The data<br />
from the WTO 2 show that tourism in the third millennium is becoming a global economy.<br />
This can serve as a form of existence and moderating migration of the younger<br />
generation, if the economic income is satisfied after the end of the tourist season. For<br />
these reasons, it was very important to research the work value of renters and their<br />
connection with the so-called e-entrepreneurship. In other words, this research was<br />
aimed at examining how work values and e-entrepreneurship correspond to the goal<br />
of developing tourism in »iovo in combating and/or preventing emigration of the<br />
youth.<br />
1. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY<br />
The study was conducted on 105 respondents (N=105) who are private rental owners<br />
of apartments. The research was conducted from September 28 th to November 20 th ,<br />
2017. The used survey instrument was the first part of the questionnaire to record the<br />
rental owners’ opinions on different variables related to the various multimedia tools<br />
and the role of ICT in tourism development. Units included in the study are self-employed<br />
private rental owners aged between 21 and 57. Only 26% of the total number<br />
of respondents participated in the E-Visitor management training program. In the SPSS<br />
data processing, a quantization methodology was used. Descriptive statistics were used<br />
to calculate frequency, percentage, Hi quadrat (c 2 ) and correlation coefficients (Cram-<br />
2 World Tourism Organisation (WTO); Eickhoff (2007).<br />
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M. Müller: The Impact of Technology on the Development of Tourism and the Prevention...<br />
er’s V (rc) coefficient). The E-Visitor system was used to investigate and identify the<br />
perceptions of private innovators on the importance of a communication-marketing<br />
strategy for tourism development as well as investing in adult education for the development<br />
of digital literacy. Okrug Gornji district organized a multimedia training that<br />
was really useful for the further development of tourism.<br />
Results showed the importance of entrepreneurial learning in the framework of<br />
the Education Program. The titles of the program were (1) New Media as a Customer<br />
Service, (2) Increasing Trust Through Communication with Customer, (3) Possibility of<br />
Service for New Media Users in the Tourism Sector, (4) Hospitality Methods and Techniques<br />
in New Media, (5) Managing Reputation in New Media: Fishing for Comments,<br />
(6) A Strategic Approach to Creating a Native Campaign, (7) Advertising Planning, (8)<br />
Designing and Implementing a Native Campaign, and (9) Steps to Implementing an E-<br />
Visitor System. The last topic is important for acquiring a general level of digital competence,<br />
as it facilitates the use of E-Visitor and thereby suppresses one branch of the<br />
economy in the region of Dalmatia. The general findings show the significance of entrepreneurial<br />
learning in the framework of the education program, which is important<br />
for adopting a general level of digital competence as it facilitates the use of E-Visitor<br />
and thereby suppresses the side economy in Dalmatia. The training lasted for one day<br />
and was divided in two sections. The first section was about getting familiar with new<br />
technologies and the second was about implementing ICT on practical examples by using<br />
the E-Visitor system. In the research, work values were also tested (Esser& Twardy,<br />
2003; Vidgen; Francis, D., Powell & Woerndl, 2004). Work values from the Author<br />
W. Neffe (1968), who considers that one works to meet the following needs: material<br />
needs, self-esteem, activity, respect from others and the need for creativity and career<br />
advancement. In the second part of the research, the survey method was used (the<br />
used instrument was a questionnaire). The used instrument is almost entirely identical<br />
to the one used by »ulig, Fanuko and JerbiÊ (1982 vs. Wolfe& Kang, 2004) 3 and contains<br />
twenty claims concerning certain characteristics of professional work. Each claim<br />
was evaluated on the Likert scale of five degrees, in the following way: (1) strongly disagree,<br />
(2) disagree, (3) neither agree nor disagree (4) agree, (5) strongly agree. Work<br />
values were examined because work is based on the affirmative hypothesis that the<br />
greater the respondents’ desire to develop work values results in a greater possibility<br />
of existence in their place of residence and a lesser possibility of relocating to larger<br />
cities or abroad. This is intended to help in the development of economy of peninsulas<br />
and to prevent the emigration of the younger generation from Okrug Gornji (»iovo).<br />
The research can also serve as an example of preventing the gray economy.<br />
3 Research of J. Mortimer and J. Lorenc (1979), »ulig, Fanuk and JerbiÊ (1982), B. ©verko (1984),<br />
B. and others (1982), vs. ©verko & KulenoviÊ & Vizek-VidoviÊ,1982). KulenoviÊ and comp.<br />
(1984), JemeiÊ and comp. (1985) etc., 344; vs. Aaker, D. A.; McLoughlin (2010).<br />
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2. RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION<br />
Table 1 shows which multimedia tools the respondents consider to be essential<br />
for rental owners for developing digital competency and what the role of ICT is for<br />
tourism development.<br />
Table 1<br />
Variable types of<br />
multimedia tools and 1 2 3 4 5 N x 2 *df *p Rank<br />
the role of ICT % % % % %<br />
MS Movie Maker: program<br />
for editing and creating 1 15 10 21 44 100 10.4 3 0.003 3<br />
amateur movies 0 % 4<br />
Photo Story: program 6 11 18 11 54 100 11.5 4 0.051 2<br />
for managing photos? % 6<br />
VirtualDub: tool for easy video<br />
downloads from different<br />
devices and for recording 12 10 12 25 41 100 10.8 2 . 4<br />
materials in AVI file format % 4 0.005<br />
CamStudio: program for 11 8 11 32 38 100 10.6 2 0.031 5<br />
making of videos % 3<br />
MS PowerPoint and Open Office<br />
Impress: entry of photography,<br />
text, video and audio files,<br />
recording of sound and their 8 15 20 2 55 100 9.79 4 0.054 1<br />
usage in making of videos %<br />
Key: Likert scale: 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 neither agree nor disagree,<br />
4 = agree, and 5 = strongly agree.<br />
Table 1 shows that 55% of private rental owners (M = 0.42, SD = 0.71) consider<br />
the following media tools are very important — MS PowerPoint and Open Office Impress<br />
that use photos, texts, videos and audio file input, sound recordings to create a<br />
video that every rental owner should have in order to better market their rental unit<br />
and increase profit. This videos is considered very useful as a “bait” for foreign tourists.<br />
Photo Story was considered as the second most important tool, 54% (M = 0.43, SD<br />
= 0.46), and the third one was MS Movie Maker (program for editing and creating amateur<br />
films), 44% (M = 0.68, SD = 0.71). In this way, ICT technology can make a huge<br />
contribution to the development of tourism. A statistically significant correlation was<br />
obtained (c2 = 137.12, df = 3, p
M. Müller: The Impact of Technology on the Development of Tourism and the Prevention...<br />
twenty characteristics which were to assessed on a scale of 1 to 5. Table 2 shows arithmetic<br />
meanings and the variance of the respondents' answers. They are meant for each<br />
of the offered characteristics (the desired characteristics of professional work in tourism).<br />
Two major components (factors) have been singled out, which account for 57.6%<br />
of the total variance.<br />
Table 2 To which extent would you like your work to be related to the development of tourism and<br />
the use of ICT technologies and the prevention of emigration?<br />
Variable<br />
— wanted<br />
characteristics --X S2 *df x 2 Rank<br />
Factor Analysis of the Order I —<br />
Main Component Matrix under GK<br />
Criterion Manifest Variables:<br />
Preferred Characteristics<br />
1 st Component: Use of ICT<br />
technology for easier accommodation<br />
of tourist accommodation units of<br />
private renters<br />
2 nd Component: Possibility of<br />
improving economic revenue<br />
with continuous permanent<br />
education<br />
1. To earn good 2.1 1,0 2 11.2 2 1 0.1450 0.3215<br />
income from tourism 5 56 36<br />
2. To have a longer<br />
tourist season in order 4.5 0,9 2 12.4 1 2 0.0245 0.4123<br />
to improve income 2 4 12<br />
3. To have good working<br />
conditions and<br />
communication 3.2 0,4 1 10.2 4 3 0.0226 0.0214<br />
with colleagues 5 1 14<br />
4. To have conditions<br />
for advancement in 3.2 1,4 3 11.3 5 4 0.2562 0.9421<br />
tourism 5 1 21<br />
5. To be able to be<br />
trained with 4.5 0,5 3 9.52 3 5 0.4523 0.4235<br />
ICT-technology 1 6 1<br />
Total variance 43.2 21.51<br />
Factor variance 25.56 33.45<br />
Key: the original scale of the Likert type with the anchors was used with each claim: 1 = strongly<br />
disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 neither agree nor disagree, 4 = agree, and 5 = strongly agree.<br />
The above results show that the calculated correlations have shown that there is<br />
a link between private renters who have already had experience in working with multimedia<br />
tools and more frequent use of technology (working with ICT, e.g. Airbnb,<br />
Booking.com, Ebay.de, etc.). In the case of renters who do not have experience in using<br />
ICT to fill capacity but filled their units via the Okrug Gornji tourist community or<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Graph 1 Statistical data on the importance of entrepreneurial learning in the framework of<br />
the Entrepreneurship Learning Program, which is important for the adoption of a general level of<br />
digital competences because it facilitates the use of E-Visitor and thus eliminates<br />
the gray economy in Dalmatia. (Source: Author)<br />
Graph 2 The statistical data of respondents who were satisfied with the Okrug Gornji<br />
district education program, which will be continued next year. (Source: Author)<br />
Graph 3 Representation of the variable data, which shows that most of the participants in<br />
the education program were able to acquire digital skills to use the E-Visitor system. (Source: Author)<br />
Key: (1) New Media as a Customer Service, (2) Increasing Trust Through Communication with<br />
Customer, (3) Possibility of Service for New Media Users in the Tourism Sector, (4) Hospitality<br />
Methods and Techniques in New Media, (5) Managing Reputation in New Media: Fishing for<br />
Comments, (6) A Strategic Approach to Creating a Native Campaign, (7) Advertising Planning, (8)<br />
Designing and Implementing a Native Campaign, and (9) Steps to Implementing an E-Visitor System<br />
have returning guests, no significant correlation was found in experience in working<br />
with ICT. Furthermore, there is a correlation between respondents who have been using<br />
ICT for a long period of time (over two years) with the variable The ability to make<br />
good money in tourism (r = 0.32, p£.05) and the variable Have a longer tourist season<br />
period to improve economic revenue (r = 0.41, p£.05). Moreover, Okrug Gornji district’s<br />
training program for private rental owners on multimedia tools for easier accommodation<br />
capacity, better profits and for the extension of the tourist season has shown<br />
to be very important for the research. The following research information shows the<br />
importance of the Entrepreneurship Learning Program, the E-Visitor system and customer<br />
satisfaction (Graph 1).<br />
Therefore, 78.64% (M=0.78. SD=0.52) of respondents believe that entrepreneurial<br />
learning is important. The private renters took part in the training because they hoped<br />
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M. Müller: The Impact of Technology on the Development of Tourism and the Prevention...<br />
to adopt a certain level of digital competence that facilitate the use of the E-Visitor system.<br />
Graph 2 shows that respondents were mostly satisfied with the Okrug Gornji district<br />
education program, which was organized and will be continued next year. 84.25%<br />
of the participants were satisfied and said that they would continue with the program<br />
the following year. However, 15.75% of the participants were not satisfied and would<br />
not continue with the education program next year.<br />
Graph 3 shows these results: 1. New media as a customer service (9%, M=0.45,<br />
SD=1.52); 2. Increasing trust through communication with customers (7%, M=0.75,<br />
SD=0.58); 3. Possibility of new media users in the tourism sector (6%, M=0.69,<br />
SD=0.87); 4. Hospitality methods and techniques in new media (12%, M=0.45,<br />
SD=0.74); 5. Managing reputation in new media: fishing for comments (6%, M=0.64,<br />
SD=0.48); 6. A Strategic approach to creating a native campaign (11%, M=0.41,<br />
SD=0.85); 7. Advertising planning (6%, M=0.74, SD=0.57); 8. Designing and implementing<br />
a native campaign (9%, M=0.74, SD=0.64); 9. Steps to implementing an E-Visitor<br />
system (25%, M=0.41, SD=0.41).<br />
In this part of the survey questionnaire, renters express their own views on investing<br />
in adult education through the E-Visitor training system for the development of<br />
skills of tourism, for increasing their own profit and for inclusion in the world of tourism.<br />
Eight assertions were offered in total.<br />
Table 3 — Respondents view of investing in the adult education through E-Visitor.<br />
1 2 3 4 5<br />
Variable % % % % % N x 2 *df *p<br />
Ease of communication with tourists<br />
and obligations towards 1 1 2 5 100 12.5 4 0.00<br />
the Tourist Board 9 0 1 0 0 % 1 1<br />
Opening and / or joining 1 1 1 1 4 100 10.2 0.00<br />
entrepreneurial travel agencies 0 2 8 8 2 % 5 3 3<br />
For the development of digital .<br />
literacy with the goal of 1 1 1 2 3 100 11.4 0.00<br />
pragmatic use of E-Visitor 4 4 3 5 4 % 2 2 5<br />
Combating the payment<br />
No-show guests and to 2 1 1 1 4 100 13.6 0.05<br />
suppress the gray economy 4 2 3 1 0 % 3 3 1<br />
2 1 2 1 1 100 13.6 0.02<br />
Monitoring EU trend 2 7 8 9 4 % 1 3 1<br />
Facilitating the collection of<br />
information related to 1 2 2 1 1 100 15.2 0.05<br />
tourism demand 9 4 5 6 6 % 1 5 5<br />
Key: With each statement the Likert scale with anchors was used: 1 = strongly disagree,<br />
2 = disagree, 3 neither agree nor disagree, 4 = agree, and 5 = strongly agree.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Table 3 shows that 50% of the private rental owners (M = 0.37, SD = 0.37) most<br />
often invest in adult education through education programs for learning the how to use<br />
the E-Visitor system. It is seen through a variable for easier communication between<br />
tourists and municipalities, and 42% (M = 0.38, SD = 0.41) believe that the purpose of<br />
learning E-Visitor was to increase capital (M = 0.26, SD = 0.45). Third place suppress<br />
the gray economy and prevent the payment of penalties 40% (M = 0.58, SD = 0.69).<br />
This means that private renters think that using the E-Visitor system is not only beneficial<br />
for enhancing the number of tourists and increasing private capital, but above all,<br />
it is a way of including people in the world of tourism. It is also a development of the<br />
digital economy. A statistically significant correlation (c2 = 144,12, df = 3, p
M. Müller: The Impact of Technology on the Development of Tourism and the Prevention...<br />
the suppression of the gray economy, the development of the human capital and the<br />
development of further skills in the development of tourism in Okrug Gornji. The acquired<br />
knowledge gives insight into the type of communication marketing strategy that<br />
is important for private renters and facilitates the development of tourism in Dalmatia.<br />
This is the concept of the economy where one talks about the importance of purchasing.<br />
The study was conducted on 105 respondents who are private rental owners of<br />
apartments. The research was conducted from September 28 th to November 20 th , 2017.<br />
The used survey instrument was the first part of the questionnaire to record the rental<br />
owners’ opinions on different variables related to the various multimedia tools and the<br />
role of ICT in tourism development. This included in the research are self-employed<br />
private rental owners aged between 21 and 57. Only 26% of the total number of respondents<br />
participated in the E-Visitor management training program.<br />
Private renters consider it very important for private renters to acquire digital competence<br />
in order to be able to use certain media tools. In this way, ICT technology can<br />
make a major contribution to the development of tourism. A statistically significant correlation<br />
has been obtained where participants who had participated in the E-Visitor<br />
training programs were more aware of the role of ICT for tourism development. For<br />
these reasons, it was very important to investigate the work value of renters and their<br />
connection with the so-called e-entrepreneurship, i.e. this research aimed at examining<br />
how work values and e-entrepreneurship corresponded to the goal of developing tourism<br />
in »iovo in fighting and/or preventing emigration of the young generation. Furthermore,<br />
a correlation has been established between respondents that use ICT technology<br />
(for more than two years) with the variable To earn good income from tourism and<br />
To have a longer tourist season in order to improve income. Furthermore, a very important<br />
aspect of this research was the education program organized by Okrug Gornji<br />
district for the training of rental owners with certain multimedia tools for easier accommodation<br />
capacity, better profit and for the extension of the tourist season. The findings<br />
showed the importance of entrepreneurial learning in the framework of the training<br />
program, which is important for adopting a general level of digital competence, as<br />
it facilitates the use of E-Visitor and thereby suppresses the gray economy in Dalmatia.<br />
Research shows that 78.64% of respondents believe that entrepreneurial learning the<br />
education program is important. Some of the participants, or private renters, who took<br />
part, adopted the general levels of digital competence that facilitate the use of E-Visitor<br />
system. Moreover, 84.25% of the participants were satisfied and said that they would<br />
continue with the program the following year. However, 15.75% of the participants<br />
were not satisfied and would not continue with the education program next year. This<br />
research can be an example of how third-age respondents can also be catered for to<br />
further develop sustainable tourism for the next generation. Research results show that<br />
private renters feel that it is necessary to invest in multimedia education in order to prevent<br />
the demolition of tourist identity, to foster the suppression of the gray economy,<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
to prevent emigration of the youth and finally, to avert problems in the development<br />
of tourism.<br />
References<br />
Aaker, D. A.; McLoughlin, D. (2010). Strategic Marketing Management. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. West<br />
Sussex.<br />
Belch, G. E.; Belch, M. A. (2015). Advertising and promotion. McGraw-Hill Education. San Diego,<br />
California.<br />
Böhm, W. (2000). Wörterbuch der Pädagogik. 15. Auflage, Stuttgart.<br />
Eickhoff, M. Th. (2007). Früh den Unternehmergeist wecken, “IHK — Magazin für Berufsbildung”.<br />
40. Jahrgang, b, Vol. 2, p. 16.<br />
Esser, F. H.; Twardy, M. (2003). Entrepreneurship als didaktisches Problem einer Universität —<br />
aufgezeigt am Organisationsentwicklungskonzept WIS-EX der Universität zu Köln.<br />
“Entrepreneurship in Forschung und Lehre: Festschrift für Klaus Anderseck”. Frankfurt am<br />
Main, pp. 223-239.<br />
Jongebloed, H.-C.; Twardy, M. (1983). Strukturmodell Fachdidaktik Wirtschaftswissenschaften.<br />
(SMFW). “Kompendium Fachdidaktik”. Düsseldorf, pp. 163-203.<br />
KesiÊ T. (2003). Integrirana marketinπka komunikacija. Zagreb.<br />
Kotler, P. (2006). Osnove marketinga. MATE d.o.o., Zagreb.<br />
Nanda, R.; Khanna, P. (2011). A historical overview of marketing strategies. “International Journal of<br />
Multidisciplinary Research”, Vol. 1, Issue 7. doi.org/10.22271/ijmrd.<br />
©timac, H. (1988). Mladi i rad: moguÊnosti odnoπenja, “Fragmenti omladine” (ed. Radin, F.). IDIS,<br />
Zagreb.<br />
©verko, B. (1983). Struktura radnih vrijednosti — jedna meappleunarodna usporedba, “IV. Dani<br />
psihologije u Zadru”, VI. 2, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social<br />
Sciences in Zagreb.<br />
©verko, B.; KulenoviÊ, A.; Vizek-VidoviÊ, V. (1982). Prilog istraæivanju strukture radnih vrijednosti,<br />
“Primijenjena psihologija”. No. 1-4. Vizek-VidoviÊ, V.; JemeiÊ, Æ.<br />
Vidgen, R. Francis, D., Powell, P. & Woerndl, M. (2004). Web service business transformation:<br />
collaborative commerce opportunities in SMEs. “Journal of Enterprise Information<br />
Management”, Vol. 17, No. 5. pp. 372-381. doi.org/10.1108/17410390810888697.<br />
Wolfe, K.; Hsu, C. H. C.; Kang, S. K. (2004). Buyer characteristics among users of various travel<br />
intermediaries. “Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing”, Vol. 17, No. 2-3. pp. 51-62.<br />
https://doi.org/10.1108/09596119610152032.<br />
Internet sources<br />
http://www.emarketer.com/Article/US-Digital-Ad-Spending-WillApproach-60-Billion-This-Year-with-<br />
Retailers-Leading-Way/1012497/. Last accessed: August 25, 2017<br />
https://www.evisitor.hr/eVisitorWiki/(X(1)S(f403b0qzidl35k1sxpkt44fd))/Javno.Web-API.ashx. Last<br />
accessed: October 3, 2017<br />
406
Marko MUSTAPI∆, Benjamin PERASOVI∆, Renata FRANC<br />
SPORT AND SOCIALIZATION IN A<br />
MEDITERRANEAN LOCAL COMMUNITY:<br />
ZALE IGRANE WATER POLO CLUB’S<br />
FIFTY YEARS OF TRADITION<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
Sociological research of sports phenomena has undeniable scientific and social significance.<br />
Sport has its own separate institutions, norms and value systems, which cause<br />
it to have a strong influence on the lives of many members of society. Systematic research<br />
of the various social aspects of sport are thus needed to analyse their incidence<br />
and interpret their consequences. This need is exceptionally apparent, not only for reasons<br />
of research or out of the need to educate the public, but because of the insufficient<br />
implementation of research findings in social actions intended to promote the<br />
positive aspects of sport. This holds especially for water polo, a highly popular sport<br />
in the Mediterranean countries, including Croatia. Sociology of sport is one of the<br />
youngest sociological disciplines; as a science, it theoretically and empirically explores<br />
phenomena related to sport. The key topics researchers approach empirically are social<br />
relationships and processes that influence physical education, sport and recreation,<br />
as well as the influence of these factors on the development of individuals, of social<br />
groups and of sport itself and its interrelationship with society and local communities.<br />
First and foremost, sociology of sport is interested in what lies “behind” the results and<br />
statistics of athletes and clubs in order to attain insight into the deeper meaning of sport<br />
as a part of the society and culture we live in. In recent years, sociological scientific<br />
and research efforts in this vein have become more and more frequent. Finally, one of<br />
the key reasons for choosing water polo as the subject of this research is the fact that<br />
no ethnographic research on the influence of water polo on the everyday lives of youth<br />
has yet been conducted in Croatia.<br />
SPORT, SOCIALISATION, AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY<br />
Each sport is an indivisible part of the social world, created and developed by people<br />
in their interpersonal interactions within a particular political and economic context.<br />
Coakley (2009) emphasises that research of the sports phenomena must place sport in<br />
a social context and interpret it in the same way as those who create, organise, play<br />
and/or support it. McPherson, Curtis and Loy (1989) point out five key determinants in<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
every institutionalised sport: (1) Behavioural rules and regulations are created for participants,<br />
as are spatial and temporal frameworks for competition; it is always of a competitive<br />
nature; (2) It is goal-oriented, e.g. through winning points as a measure of the<br />
participants’ success; (3) It is ludic in nature, as it offers fun and excitement to both<br />
competitors and audiences; (4) It is always placed in a cultural context; (5) It is determined<br />
by a value system and relationships of power within a particular society. With<br />
this in mind, the question arises as to what significance sport holds in the socialisation<br />
of youth. Sport is an exceptionally important secondary agent of socialisation. Socialisation<br />
is a complex, long process in which children and adults interact with their surroundings,<br />
learn the culture of the society in which they live and adopt and shape various<br />
behavioural patterns, norms and values. Coakley (2009, p. 103) lists the key positive<br />
influences of sport on youth: (1) the ability to explore and build a personal identity,<br />
(2) knowledge-building experiences that go beyond the locker room and playing<br />
field, (3) new relationships, especially with people who are not connected with sports<br />
and do not base their interaction on a person’s status or identity as an athlete, (4) explicit<br />
examples of how lessons learned in sports may be applied to specific situations<br />
apart from sports, and (5) opportunities to develop and display competence in nonsport<br />
activities that are observed by other people who can serve as mentors and advocates<br />
outside sports. From a macro perspective, societies require the acceptance of<br />
norms and values among their members as a prior condition for the integration of society<br />
as a complex system. Society is held together by the identities of and solidarity<br />
among its members. From a micro perspective, socialisation is the individual process<br />
of maturation, growth and development of personal identity. People need to belong to<br />
a community or group and take on their determinants of identity. In examining the actions<br />
of individual and group actors in the local community, one must ensure that the<br />
function of communities is apparent in social relationships that satisfy the shared needs<br />
of the people who live in it. This especially holds for local communities far from large<br />
urban centres. The coexistence and direct connectedness of people on the basis of<br />
physical closeness is one of the basic characteristics of human sociality. Since the outset<br />
of sociology and psychology, numerous debates have surrounded the definition of<br />
the concept of the community. One thing many agree upon is the inestimable importance<br />
of the community to the function of society as an integrated system. The connections<br />
that hold communities together, and thus society as well, are based on the satisfaction<br />
of social needs shared by all members of the community: interests, values, behavioural<br />
norms and a feeling of belonging. RogiÊ and »aldaroviÊ (1997, p. 53) recognise<br />
the exceptional importance of the role of the identity of the local community in<br />
its existence and action. They emphasise four main groups of determinants that greatly<br />
define the identity of the local community: (1) regions and their characteristics, (2)<br />
institutional networks, (3) the collective personality of the local community, and (4) individual<br />
and group actors. AjdukoviÊ (2003, pp. 14-15) emphasises the exceptional importance<br />
of psychosocial characteristics to the existence of the local community: “In the<br />
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M. MustapiÊ, B. PerasoviÊ, R. Franc: Sport and Socialization in a Mediterranean Local...<br />
local community, especially in places like villages and small towns where social changes<br />
are less dynamic, the majority of relationships between residents unfold through<br />
direct personal contact. This contributes to the residents’ personal knowledge, or at<br />
least knowledge as to who they are and where they belong. Thus, one of the main<br />
functions of the local community is to mediate between individuals and society.” Thus,<br />
people in a given area act to satisfy particular needs. AjdukoviÊ (2003, p. 25) believes<br />
that, in considering local communities, the majority of attention should be paid to their<br />
perception as a process that represents a background for the creation and change of a<br />
number of institutions and organisations, ideas and values — as a process that unfolds<br />
in cooperation and conflict among the members of the local community. Finally, in addition<br />
to psychological factors, the local community is a part of society that is continuously<br />
exposed to current modernisation trends. MustapiÊ (2010) believes that local<br />
communities are a kind of cultural niche within modern societies, where modernisation<br />
processes unfold with different characteristics than those in urban centres and<br />
large cities. These characteristics relate foremost to behavioural patterns and the interpretation<br />
of local traditional cultural heritage as well as the continuous construction of<br />
its identity on the basis of interpretations of local material and non-material heritage.<br />
In the case of the town of Igrane and the Makarska Riviera, this relates to sudden, dynamic<br />
modernisation processes and the urbanisation of this part of the Croatian coast,<br />
which resulted in a turn from agrarianism to tourism. From the 1960s on, this further<br />
resulted in a transformation of the local community space and the economic and social<br />
activities of its residents (MustapiÊ and KarajiÊ, 2012). 1 Geiger Zeman and Zeman<br />
(2010, pp. 64-65) note that all globalisation processes are also local processes: “Introducing<br />
a local perspective thus enables not only a more complete understanding and<br />
more detailed analysis of the manifold, often complex ways in which global aspects are<br />
placed in local frameworks and contexts, but also a better understanding of the totality<br />
of the relationship between global and local.” This is noted in accordance with Robertson’s<br />
(1995) “glocalisation” theory, in which the local community becomes a meeting<br />
place of various globalising forces within a specific space and context. Special attention<br />
must here be paid to the fact that we live in a networked society (Castells,<br />
2000), in which the development of the Internet and the use of social networks (Facebook,<br />
Twitter, Instagram, etc.) on a massive scale have resulted in the ability to share<br />
experiences and information interactively from a local into a global context. Zeman<br />
(2007, p. 1022) points out that Castells is correct in his claim that culture should be seen<br />
as “a key defence resource, perhaps the only effective means in articulating identity figures<br />
able to oppose the logic of modern networked capitalism.” Considering the main<br />
trends Coakley (2009) describes in modern youth sport, from constant growth in the<br />
1 The dynamic development of various aspects of everyday life, including the creation of modern<br />
sports clubs in the Makarska Riviera, began in the early 20th century. For a detailed account,<br />
see HrstiÊ’s book Vrijeme promjena — Makarska 1918.—1929. (2016)<br />
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number of private clubs and programmes to the insistence on top performance and development<br />
of competitive capabilities in youth, as well as both the positive and negative<br />
aspects of parent behaviour in such surroundings, a small water polo club on the<br />
Croatian coast deserves research attention and an analysis of its importance to both the<br />
youth in the club and to the local community on the Makarska Riviera.<br />
WATER POLO: ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL<br />
SPORTS IN CROATIA<br />
Water polo as a sport, like football, began to take form in the United Kingdom. It is<br />
first mentioned in 1869 as “water football” and was played with a leather football<br />
(Bauer et al. 2010, p. 14). However, as opposed to modern football, which has been<br />
an important part of the global economy for decades, water polo is a “small sport”,<br />
whose historical development throughout the twentieth century unfolded quite differently.<br />
Water polo and football are the oldest Olympic team sports, present since the<br />
Paris Olympic Games in 1900. However, it has no global significance; modern water<br />
polo has mass appeal and popularity foremost in Mediterranean European countries as<br />
well as in particular post-socialist countries. Modern water polo is a team water sport<br />
involving two teams with seven players at a time (six field players plus a goalkeeper). 2<br />
Water polo is played in a 33 x 25 metre field in either indoor or outdoor swimming<br />
pools. The goals are three metres wide and 0.9 metres high. Teams are differentiated<br />
by the colour of their caps. The play is officiated by two line referees and a main referee;<br />
however, amateur leagues make use of only one referee. Teams play in offensive<br />
rounds of thirty seconds and the team with the most goals after four eight-minute quarters<br />
wins. The beginnings of water polo in Croatia are tied to the city of Split. Bauer et<br />
al. (2010, p. 25) note that the first official match played by the rules of the time took<br />
place at BaËvice beach in Split in 1908; the organiser of the event was Fabjan Kaliterna,<br />
an important sports worker who also initiated the founding of FC Hajduk in Split<br />
that same year. 3 The Yugoslav Olympic Committee was founded in Zagreb in 1919; two<br />
years later, the Yugoslav Swimming Federation was founded, which managed swimming,<br />
water polo and diving. During the Yugoslav period, Croatian water polo clubs<br />
formed the core of competition, and their players constituted the core of the national<br />
team. The Yugoslav national team won gold medals at the Olympic Games in Mexico<br />
City in 1968, in Los Angeles in 1984 and in Seoul in 1988. The team also won silver in<br />
Helsinki in 1952, in Melbourne in 1956, in Tokyo in 1964 and in Moscow in 1980. The<br />
team won an additional two gold and bronze medals at numerous world championships<br />
as well as one gold, seven silver and four bronze medals at European championships.<br />
The Croatian team won gold at the London Olympics in 2012 as well as silver<br />
medals in Atlanta in 1996 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016. In addition to this, Croatia won<br />
2 For more insight into water polo as a sport, cf. TrumbiÊ (2010).<br />
3 For more insight into the development of sports in Split, cf. GizdiÊ (2004).<br />
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M. MustapiÊ, B. PerasoviÊ, R. Franc: Sport and Socialization in a Mediterranean Local...<br />
Figure 1 Map of the Makarska Riviera<br />
two gold medals, one silver medal and three bronze medals at world championships<br />
as well as an additional gold, two silver, and one bronze medal at European championships.<br />
The European Champions Cup began in the 1963/64 season, which later<br />
changed its name to the Champions League. Croatian clubs have won this most prestigious<br />
international club competition a total of fourteen times: WC Mladost Zagreb, 7;<br />
WC Jug Dubrovnik, 4; WC Jadran Split, 2; WC PO©K Split, 1. It is apparent that the Croatian<br />
water polo tradition is quite long and highly successful. Its great popularity and<br />
the number of youth who play the sport, especially on the Adriatic coast, thus come<br />
as no surprise. The Third Croatian Water Polo League is the lowest competitive water<br />
polo league in Croatia, and it is divided into four divisions: Split, ©ibenik, Rijeka and<br />
Continental Croatia. Zale Water Polo Club competes in the Split division.<br />
AIM AND METHOD<br />
This research is based on an analysis of the activities of Zale Water Polo Club in Igrane,<br />
a town of just four hundred residents in the Makarska Riviera. Igrane lies within the<br />
administrative municipality of Podgora. WC Zale, founded in 1968, is the only sports<br />
club in Igrane. Since its founding, with occasional pauses, it has worked with young<br />
water polo players and competed in the Split division in the summer months. The general<br />
goal of this work is to affirm how young members of the local community, players<br />
and members of the club management view the influence of WC Zale on the daily<br />
life of the youth and local community in Igrane as well as to what extent this is in ac-<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
cordance with Coakley’s (2009) determinants of the positive influences of sport on<br />
youth. The research exclusively uses data collected through ethnographic research. The<br />
beginnings of ethnographic research are often marked with significant difficulties in<br />
gaining the trust of subjects or entire groups the research is focused on. This was not<br />
the case in this research due to the trust of the subjects and the fact that two of the authors<br />
know a few of the club’s players and members of its management. Research was<br />
carried out from June to September of <strong>2018</strong> during visits to home and away matches<br />
as well as at training sessions and by socialising with fans and club members in Igrane.<br />
At the end of the ethnographic research, semi-structured interviews with six key actors<br />
(two club management members, two players, two fans) were held during September<br />
<strong>2018</strong>. All those interviewed are residents of Igrane, with the exception of one fan from<br />
the neighbouring village of ÆivogoπÊe. The survey for interviews consisted of three<br />
themed question blocks: general questions about relationships in the local community<br />
and the role of water polo in the lives of Igrane’s citizens; questions about the creation<br />
and operations of the club since 1968, with a focus on work and the socialisation of<br />
youth; questions on the perception and significance of the club to the subjects and their<br />
estimation of its significance to the identity of the community and to the life of its<br />
youth. Interviews lasted from one to two hours; they were later transcribed, coded and<br />
analysed in Nvivo 9.2.<br />
KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUDING REMARKS<br />
Modernisation of the rural local community in Igrane began in the 1950s. Organised<br />
sports in villages also began at this time, including volleyball and half-court water polo.<br />
As its geographic position and lack of transit corridors made it fairly isolated, matches<br />
were held only with neighbouring villages. During the 1960s, multiple full-court<br />
scrimmages were organised. A turning point came in the late 1960s when a water polo<br />
coach from Zagreb purchased a weekend house in Igrane and began training boys<br />
during the summer. Thus, the Zale Water Polo Club was founded in 1968. Since then,<br />
the club has had no swimming pool; matches are held exclusively in the summer<br />
months in a court surrounded by boats in the local harbour. It reached its zenith from<br />
1974 to 1982, when the club competed in the Yugoslav second water polo league. Club<br />
activities lessened in the late 1980s prior to the war in Croatia and began picking up<br />
once again in the late 1990s. A new wave of enthusiasm and training began among<br />
youth in 2003/2004. This was mostly thanks to management member and former player<br />
Mate BakaliÊ. Members of today’s club leadership remember this period fondly,<br />
when they were almost all children in their early phase of fascination with water polo,<br />
training, matches and atmosphere: In 2003, the late Mate BakaliÊ brought a man to train<br />
kids, and that’s when our generation started; that’s when we all started. We would<br />
come to senior matches and cheer. There was an old scoreboard where you had to<br />
manually change the score, and we would all beg, “Can I do it, can I do it?”... (Peko)<br />
The generation that began to train during this period is now leading the club; they<br />
inherited a strong orientation towards work with children and youth from the prece-<br />
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M. MustapiÊ, B. PerasoviÊ, R. Franc: Sport and Socialization in a Mediterranean Local...<br />
ding generations, and this orientation outstrips the sports activities themselves. It is interesting<br />
to note that current club president Dane MihaljeviÊ has been a part of the club<br />
since its founding and has performed various roles; he is currently the oldest club member<br />
and a great source of support for younger generations. The current developmental<br />
phase of the club began in 2014 and has been marked by leaders that truly live for the<br />
club, enabling constant inter-generational interaction within the club as well as the<br />
transfer of knowledge, experience and values. The research affirmed that the main values<br />
and characteristics of the club’s current activities are founded on four key dimensions:<br />
(1) dedication to working with children, (2) volunteering and a “do-it-yourself”<br />
attitude, (3) belonging to the ultras subculture, and (4) apoliticism.<br />
WORKING WITH YOUTH AND CHILDREN<br />
Memories of childhood and the first water polo training sessions are quite important to<br />
all our subjects. We noted an apparent elation and delight when older club members<br />
would notice signs that any of the young members were falling in love with water polo,<br />
training, matches and belonging to WC Zale. One of the subjects from the club management<br />
notes: Our biggest goal is to work with kids, to let them fall in love with water<br />
polo and sport in general. We train them, we take them to tournaments, we find<br />
them opponents, so they want to shoot goals one day so they can be big men in the<br />
village, so everyone respects them... (Baka)<br />
Although none of the subjects interviewed is an educated coach or pedagogue,<br />
they are very aware of the influence and socialising effects of sport: Children are our<br />
goal — we take care of them. If you see that one of them knows how to sing, that<br />
they’re loud, you immediately give them the megaphone when they cheer, even a tenyear-old,<br />
it doesn’t matter how old they are. You give them all a chance to express<br />
themselves in what they’re best at. That’s how we build athlete. They stop being shy,<br />
they become men. We give everyone what is important to them, we teach them, show<br />
them how to behave, etc... That’s why the youth don’t let anyone say anything bad<br />
about the club, they protect what’s “theirs”. (Baka)<br />
WC Zale maintains friendly relations with many clubs in Croatia and abroad, especially<br />
with WC Invictus Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina). They frequently hold<br />
winter and summer scrimmages for youth, group training sessions matches and tournaments:<br />
When they come here for the summer from Sarajevo, and when they train,<br />
then all our kids come as well — no one misses a training, motivation grows, there are<br />
matches every other day and everyone enjoys it together and makes friends. (Deda)<br />
The influence WC Zale has on its youth in the town is so great that not everyone<br />
in the local community is happy with it. During interviews, many subjects recounted a<br />
situation in which a local priest asked children to draw their families at Sunday school.<br />
Two brothers drew their parents, but they also drew the coat of arms and flag of WC<br />
Zale next to their mother and father; the priest said this was too much and that it was<br />
a bad influence. However, as Peko says, Their father supports us 100%. He’s glad they<br />
train, and other parents of kids who train here also support and respect us.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Considering that the club mostly finances itself through donations and organising<br />
fishermen’s festivities for the public, their work with youth includes not only sporting<br />
socialisation but involvement in these activities as well: We mostly finance ourselves<br />
by organising fishermen’s festivities during the tourist season. All the money goes to<br />
the club. However, to earn as much money as we need, we’ve taught all these kids<br />
how to work together, how to clean and prepare fish, for example. Where else can you<br />
find a fourteen-year-old who knows how to clean and grill fish? And our kids clean up<br />
to 200 fish, they slice the bread, grill the fish, serve it, they smile at the guests, they’re<br />
friendly, they speak English, we teach them everything, and when we collect the money,<br />
we say OK, now we’re going to buy a shower for training sessions, and we put in<br />
the shower, and they protect it, they don’t let anyone so much as look at it the wrong<br />
way so it doesn’t get broken. The kids are incredible. (Baka)<br />
“DO IT YOURSELF”<br />
Working with the club is purely on a volunteer basis, and it is based on a ‘do-it-yourself’<br />
principle, including any construction, electrical, administrative or other work: No<br />
one sees as much as a dime from the club, that’s 100% for sure, everything is on a volunteer<br />
basis, everyone does their share and everyone enjoys themselves because they<br />
know they’re doing the right thing. (Deda)<br />
During socialising and interviews, the club’s players and management members<br />
showed us photographs showing the entire process of building their new mobile<br />
bleachers at the court. The work done outside the competitive summer season also<br />
serves to bring the members together and, in addition to the useful things they build,<br />
to strengthen their sense of belonging to the club. The club has become a ‘community<br />
within a community’, and the pride of each individual in what they create with their<br />
own two hands has a collective character here: We did it all ourselves, from the bleachers<br />
to the scoreboard, everything, and it’s all ours. We even made a cage ball football<br />
pitch... Every March we get a new idea to do something, just so we can start socialising<br />
as early as possible, so we started with the bleachers in March, then the reflectors,<br />
by next year we’ll finish the pontoon. We do everything ourselves, except sometimes<br />
you need help from a truck, a crane or something. Everything you see here was made<br />
by us. (Dane)<br />
WC Zale is the only third-league club that does not pay its players, which is yet<br />
another affirmation of the completely volunteer and DIY focus of the club. Additionally,<br />
a few players who commute from Split do not even want to be refunded their travel<br />
expenses.<br />
ULTRAS SUBCULTURE BACKGROUND<br />
The majority of players and management members of WC Zale are members of Torcida.<br />
Torcida, founded in 1950, is one of the oldest ultras groups in Europe. The ultras<br />
subculture brings together radical supporters (in this case, supporters of FK Hajduk<br />
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M. MustapiÊ, B. PerasoviÊ, R. Franc: Sport and Socialization in a Mediterranean Local...<br />
Picture 1 WC Zale Igrane — <strong>2018</strong> Champion of the 3 rd Croatian Water Polo League (Split)<br />
from Split), who build a specific lifestyle and identity with their active support, choreography,<br />
messages, pyrotechnics, travel to away matches and occasional conflicts with<br />
other supporter groups and the police. These young people transferred the entire system<br />
of visual and vocal expression they learned on the northern bleachers of Hajduk’s<br />
stadium to their water polo matches; they are the only organised supporter group at<br />
this level of competition.<br />
Supporter activities surrounding WC Zale retain the same visual and vocal expression,<br />
although freed of any form of violence and with a focus on fair play towards all<br />
competitors at the end of matches. One possible example of rivalry is with Podgora (a<br />
neighbouring town); however, this remains on a level of verbal conflict and mockery<br />
within a local context. In this case, belonging to an ultras subculture says more about<br />
form of expression, values (pride, defiance, community, etc.) and a carnival atmosphere<br />
than about the type of conflict usually tied to football. This was continually apparent<br />
at matches during the <strong>2018</strong> season. The atmosphere during an away game<br />
against WC Podgora (diary entry, 7 Aug <strong>2018</strong>, Podgora) can be taken as an example:<br />
Only victory against their long-time rivals and victory in the last round at home will ensure<br />
them first place. The club has been mobilising fans for days through the club’s Facebook<br />
page, inviting them to an organised departure from Igrane on the boat Trpanj’<br />
to Podgora, 9 km away. Before the match, the boat with the players and supporters<br />
sails into Podgora harbour alongside flares, smoke bombs and cheering. Half an hour<br />
before the beginning of the match at 9PM, the court in the harbour is full of locals and<br />
tourists, phones and cameras flashing. WC Zale supporters sit behind the goal, they set<br />
up a Kop on the promenade, they put bandannas on […] there are around 20-30 of<br />
them, as well as kids with parents, around 40-50 people all together... drums, songs<br />
and flares.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
416<br />
Picture 2 Posters for the 50 th anniversary of the club<br />
THE APOLITICAL PERSPECTIVE<br />
As regards values typical of Torcida (PerasoviÊ and MustapiÊ, 2013, 2017), as well as of<br />
many other youths in Croatia, the apoliticism of Croatian youth is in this case especially<br />
apparent, passing into an exceptionally negative view towards politics and political<br />
parties, accompanied by a lack of trust in institutions (Franc et al., <strong>2018</strong>). This apoliticism<br />
has produced political neutrality, both amongst supporter groups like Torcida and<br />
amongst the people surrounding WC Zale in the local community. This has also<br />
brought with it a lack of sufficient financial support, as the local government and local<br />
businesses are dependent on the symbiosis of the club with its political surroundings<br />
and the relationships of power in society and the local community. The local tourist<br />
board and the municipality government do not provide appropriate financial support<br />
to the only authentic youth sports activity in Igrane. This is despite the positive effect<br />
the club has on the socialisation of youth and the fact that water polo is an exotic tourist<br />
attraction for the majority of Central and Western European tourists. Not even sports<br />
results, such as becoming league champions in the year the club celebrated its 50th anniversary,<br />
have had much of an effect on the status of the club in the local community.<br />
Aside from the Igrane oil mill and the Punta Hotel, the club enjoys no significant<br />
logistical support. Our subjects believe that some people in Igrane, especially the politically<br />
active, do not like WC Zale as they are bothered by any kind of social activism<br />
and youth success: Many people from the town don’t like Zale. They don’t like it because<br />
they don’t work on anything, but when they see us working, they can’t complain.<br />
When we went by boat to a match in PuËiπÊe on the island of BraË, we organised<br />
everything ourselves and made a big banner for our departure from Igrane and
M. MustapiÊ, B. PerasoviÊ, R. Franc: Sport and Socialization in a Mediterranean Local...<br />
hung it up across the boat: “WE HAVE NOTHING, AND YET WE HAVE EVERYTHING”. We<br />
entered the league then without a penny, we didn’t even know how we would do it,<br />
but here we are celebrating again. Honestly, we’re very disappointed, they’re all...<br />
hmm... hmm, well, you know what kind of people get involved in politics. (Peko)<br />
During the summer season — considering that the matches are held in the centre<br />
of town, in the harbour, in the open air, with reflectors, songs and support — WC Zale<br />
actually represents a true tourist attraction, making it perhaps strange that no one<br />
from the tourist board comes to these matches. Reasons for this should be sought in<br />
the fact that the tourist board is an economic and political body firmly tied to a political<br />
party and to the government; the belonging of the majority of stakeholders in the<br />
WC Zale ultras subculture and their strongly anti-establishment character represents a<br />
constant threat and danger to local politicians. The apoliticism of our subjects, tied to<br />
their belonging to the ultras subculture, has resulted in a lack of significant financial<br />
and other support. However, it has provided them with autonomy and independence.<br />
To conclude, the findings of this research have provided multiple affirmations of the<br />
conclusions of Coakley’s (2009, p. 103) thesis on the positive influence of sport on the<br />
socialisation of youth — in this case, water polo in a specific Mediterranean local community.<br />
References<br />
AjdukoviÊ, Dean (2003) Socijalna rekonstrukcija zajednice. In: AjdukoviÊ, Dean (ed.), Socijalna<br />
rekonstrukcija zajednice: psiholoπki procesi, rjeπavanja sukoba i socijalna akcija, pp. 11-39,<br />
Zagreb: Druπtvo za psiholoπku pomoÊ.<br />
Bauer, D., DrpiÊ, A., Duvnjak, I., FiliÊ, A., Karlo, Z., JajËeviÊ, Z., MikuliËin, I., OgurliÊ, P., VlaπiÊ, A.,<br />
Vujina, B. (2010). StoljeÊe hrvatskog vaterpola. Zagreb: Denona.<br />
Castells, M. (2000). Uspon umreæenog druπtva. Zagreb: Golden marketing.<br />
Franc, R., PerasoviÊ, B. & MustapiÊ, M. (<strong>2018</strong>). Youth, History and a Crisis of Democracy?<br />
Perspectives from Croatia, In: Pilkington, H., Pollock, G., & Franc, R. (eds.), Understanding<br />
Youth Participation Across Europe From Survey to Ethnography, pp. 227-263. London:<br />
Palgrave Macmillan.<br />
Geiger Zeman, M., & Zeman, Z. (2010). Uvod u sociologiju (odræivih) zajednica. Zagreb: Institut<br />
druπtvenih znanosti Ivo Pilar.<br />
GizdiÊ, J. (2004). Fabjan Kaliterna otac splitskog πporta. Split: Splitski savez πportova.<br />
HrstiÊ, I. (2016). Vrijeme promjena: Makarska 1918.—1929. Zagreb: Institut druπtvenih znanosti Ivo<br />
Pilar i Grad Makarska.<br />
McPherson, B., Curtis, J., & Loy, J. (1989). The Social Significance of Sport: An Introduction to the<br />
Sociology of Sport. Champaign (Ill): Human Kinetics Press.<br />
MustapiÊ, M. (2010). Odnos lokalne zajednice prema problemu odlaganja komunalnog otpada:<br />
Studija sluËaja Makarsko primorje. Druπtvena istraæivanja, 19(6), 1055-1077.<br />
MustapiÊ, M. & KarajiÊ, N. (2012). Prirodne katastrofe kao Ëimbenici modernizacije hrvatskoga<br />
druπtva: Primjer potresa 1962. godine na Makarskom primorju, In: MustapiÊ, M., & HrstiÊ, I.<br />
(eds.), Makarsko primorje danas — Makarsko primorje od kraja Drugog svjetskog rata do<br />
2011., pp. 297-317. Zagreb: Institut druπtvenih znanosti Ivo Pilar.<br />
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PerasoviÊ, B., & MustapiÊ, M. (2013). Football Supporetrs in the Context of Croatian Sociology:<br />
Research Perspectives 20 Years after. Kinesiology, 45(2), 262-275.<br />
PerasoviÊ, B., & MustapiÊ, M. (2017). Carnival supporters, hooligans, and the “Against Modern<br />
Football” movement: life within the ultras subculture in the Croatian context. Sport in Society,<br />
20(7), 121-136.<br />
RogiÊ, I., & »aldaroviÊ, O. (1997). Tipologija lokalnih zajednica sukladno odnosu spram razvitka.<br />
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Zagreb: APO — Agencija za posebni otpad.<br />
TrumbiÊ, I. (2010). Vaterpolo. Zagreb: Hrvatska olimpijska akademija.<br />
Zeman, Z. (2007). Identitetske strategije: u potrazi za smislom. Druπtvena istraæivanja, 16 (6): 1015-<br />
1029.<br />
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Stana ODAK KRASI∆, Marija VOLAREVI∆, Milica VU»KOVI∆<br />
HOW DO CROATIAN TOURIST<br />
BOARDS PROMOTE DESTINATIONS<br />
ONLINE? CONTENT ANALYSIS OF<br />
FACEBOOK COMMUNICATION OF<br />
TOURIST BOARDS IN CROATIA<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
With the popularisation of new media, the tourist environment is becoming more competitive,<br />
more open and more interactive. This is changing the way tourist destinations<br />
are promoted and represented. Barbara Puh (2014, p. 483) mentions that destination<br />
image and factors that influence destination image are becoming more significant due<br />
to higher competition on the international tourism markets. Sanda »orak (2008, p. 25)<br />
explains that the Internet has become an important way of supporting destination marketing<br />
— the contribution of the Internet is evident in several spheres of the tourism<br />
sector: new promotion and distribution channels and more tourist traffic.<br />
Users are becoming increasingly saturated with conventional advertising methods,<br />
with communication and with information sharing. New media has become integrated<br />
into all communication spheres: the media, politics, marketing and tourism. “The impact<br />
of new media and social media platforms has become an interesting issue for social<br />
scientists in analyzing motivations for sharing tourism experiences” (Ana María Munar<br />
and Jens Kr. Steen Jacobsen, 2014), tourist informing (Zheng Xianga and Ulrike<br />
Gretzel, 2010) and impact on tourism sector (Benxiang Zeng and Rolf Gerritsen, 2014).<br />
Since this type of communication and promotion is becoming more prominent in the<br />
tourism sector, the aim of this paper is to provide an additional contribution to the analysis<br />
of the influence of social media in tourism promotion and communication. Using<br />
content analysis, the aim of this study was to analyse how tourist boards in Croatia use<br />
social media channels: do they use them as a promotional/informative channel, do they<br />
engage users, and what content do they publish on their social media platforms?<br />
Tourism is one of the most important economic factors in Croatia. Tourist traffic<br />
in Croatia has been increasing in the last decade (National Bureau of Statistics, 2017).<br />
This paper is an additional contribution to the study of the influence of new media on<br />
tourism promotion in Croatia. All studies and forecasts suggest that the importance of<br />
tourism for the Croatian economy will increase. Thus, communication in tourism and<br />
tourism promotion will be vital in profiling and promoting the country and certain des-<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
tinations towards key markets and stakeholders. By analysing the tourist boards of Vis,<br />
Hvar and KorËula islands, the goal was to reach some general conclusions about how<br />
official Facebook pages should be managed, how these new platforms should be used<br />
in engaging users and which topics the mentioned tourist boards post about.<br />
2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK<br />
2.1. The New Media as Generators of Change in Communication Patterns<br />
With the increasing popularisation of new media and the increasing number of social<br />
media users, organisations, brands, even tourist organisations, are faced with new challenges.<br />
Being present in the new media is no longer sufficient on its own. Contemporary<br />
users expect action and interaction on these communication platforms. “Contemporary<br />
communication on social media is focused on helping users in making true and<br />
well-informed decisions, and not anymore on intensive promotion” (Baer, 2013). Statsta.com<br />
is a web portal that follows trends among the growing number of social media<br />
users. According to data obtained from the portal in 2017, 71% of Internet users<br />
were social network users, and these figures are expected to grow. Furthermore, predictions<br />
say that in 2019 there will be around 2.77 billion social media users around<br />
the globe, up from 2.46 billion in 2017 (Statista.com, <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
The focus of media and communication pattern change is not in the brands and<br />
organisations and their demands, but is in interacting with users and getting closer to<br />
them. New media has drastically changed media users' habits. Today, we can no longer<br />
speak of a distant, dislocated and mass audience, but of individual users with whom<br />
communication is becoming more and more individualised. “Social media are changing<br />
the way society consumes and contributes to the creation of information. Technology<br />
now allows individuals to easily contribute their thoughts, opinions and creations<br />
to the Internet” (Hays et al., 2012, p. 2).<br />
The change started with the user, and Jay Rosen (2012) says that in the context of<br />
today’s media there are no more audiences; instead there are “the people formerly<br />
known as the audience.” Using this term, Rosen (2012) explains the change that has<br />
occurred in the behaviours and habits of users driven by the development and popularisation<br />
of new media. “The new media determine a segmented, differentiated audience<br />
that, although massive in terms of numbers, is no longer a mass audience in terms<br />
of simultaneity and uniformity of the message it receives.” (Castells, 2000, p. 368).<br />
Users' media habits have changed dramatically over the past few years, switching<br />
to more individual, faster and more interactive information sharing. The Reuters Institute<br />
has been tracking the media environment and users’ media habits and pointing to<br />
change in the media ecosystem around the world for the past seven years. The data<br />
collected over the past three years has changed drastically and points to major changes<br />
in the way consumers use media content. In 2016, the key method of informing<br />
users around the world was social media, especially Facebook. The 2017 data showed<br />
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stunning results when talking about mobile technology and the use of social media for<br />
finding, sharing and commenting on news. In <strong>2018</strong>, chatting apps for information sharing<br />
became an apparent trend. On the other hand, general comments and general user<br />
habits around the world still constitute a high level of information sharing through<br />
social media and search engines, ad blocking (using ad block applications), an increase<br />
in the use of smartphones to get information and a decrease in personal computer and<br />
tablet usage, as well as the increasingly important role of chatting applications in communication<br />
(Reuters Institute Digital News Report, <strong>2018</strong>). This shows that users are<br />
looking for a more personal, interactive and faster access to information and that massive<br />
change in media habits can be observed year after year.<br />
2.2. New Ways of Tourism Promotion and Communication<br />
Through Social Media<br />
A participatory culture (Jenkins et al., 2013) and including users into the process of content<br />
creation is one of the key determinants of communication and behaviour on new<br />
media. In the context of media user change in the online environment, J. Miguéns, R.<br />
Baggio, and C. Costa (2008) state:<br />
“Traditional operators are facing a new consumer, which can easily access information<br />
and easily share own views, comments and suggestions in an informal and collaborative<br />
way, increasing the value and influence power as determinants of choice for<br />
other consumers. The Web is shifting from a business-to-consumer marketing to a peerto-peer<br />
model for sharing information” (Miguéns et al., 2008, p. 27).<br />
Users are playing an increasingly important role in shaping perception, sharing<br />
content and spreading the message about brands, organisations as well as about tourist<br />
destinations and tourism services. “Technology now allows individuals to easily contribute<br />
their thoughts, opinions and creations to the Internet. In relation to tourism,<br />
marketers and institutions no longer have ultimate control over the image of their destination<br />
or product” (Hays et al., 2012, p. 2).<br />
All of the factors mentioned above have caused great changes in tourism promotion<br />
— not just in creating tourism services but also in the relationship with guests.<br />
Their media habits and behaviours have created trends in the way organisations,<br />
brands and tourist organisations treat new media.<br />
“Users across the world no longer perceive a destination or tourist ads, but they<br />
are searching for stories. With the ability to search the new media, users have changed<br />
irrevocably. The new user is informed, independent, individual, and involved” (BebiÊ,<br />
<strong>2018</strong>, p. 57).<br />
New information-communication technologies are changing communication patterns<br />
and at the relationship between tourist destinations and users. Királ’ová and PavlíËek<br />
(2014) explain the usage of social media strategies as tools for increasing competitiveness<br />
and standing out in the market: “Social media as a tool of tourism marketing<br />
can greatly enhance the destination’s reputation and more and more convince destina-<br />
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tions’ marketers that they are an integral part of the marketing strategies” (Királ’ová and<br />
PavlíËeka, 2014, p.359).<br />
In setting up strategic communication activities, social media represents a channel<br />
through which direct and quick communication with the end user can be achieved, but<br />
more importantly, through which messages, activities and values of a destination can<br />
have a greater reach. “Social media provide new channels for the production and circulation<br />
of meaning in tourism experiences and imaginations” (Munar, Jacobsen; 2014,<br />
p. 47).<br />
The biggest advantage of social platforms is the fact that content and messages<br />
about the destination are shared not only by organisations but by the users as well.<br />
In their paper “What Do We Know About Social Media in Tourism?”, Zeng and<br />
Gerritsen (2014) state the specificity of social media as a channel through which users<br />
can share their experiences of a destination or a tourism service and even their travel<br />
experience:<br />
“The advent of Internet-based social media technologies has enabled travellers to<br />
share their travel experiences. Shared information on social media sites is recognized<br />
as an important information source that may help tourists' travel planning or even eventually<br />
influence potential travellers' travel decision-making” (Zeng, Gerritsen; 2014, p.<br />
29).<br />
In their paper “The Influence of Embedded Social Media Channels on Travelers'<br />
Gratifications, Satisfaction, and Purchase Intentions”, Aluri, Slevitch and Larzelere (2015)<br />
used an example from the hotel industry to examine the level of satisfaction and the<br />
way people use social media, and the results largely confirmed that new media help<br />
raising the level of satisfaction of guests and visitors (Aluri, Slevitch and Larzelere, 2015,<br />
p. 14).<br />
Social media has changed not only the way in which content is created but the<br />
way in which interaction is achieved as well. And while users are becoming more and<br />
more deafened with promotional content (Sethurman et al., according to Dijakmans et<br />
al., 2014, p. 58), they are increasingly turning to online content and online referrals<br />
from other users. This points to the conclusion that social media is a platform where<br />
users connect, network and share content, information and recommendations. It can<br />
be concluded that the significance of these platforms will continue to affect communication<br />
spheres, and thus, tourist communication and promotion.<br />
2.3. Tourist Boards as Key Players in Destination Promotion<br />
In their paper “Social Media as a Destination Marketing Tool: Its Use by National Tourism<br />
Organizations”, Hays, Page and Buhalis (2012) state the need for testing and analysing<br />
organisations that deal with the strategic promotion of destinations and tourism<br />
services:<br />
“... clear understanding of why and how social media function is vital to tourism<br />
destination marketing. One sizeable gap in the existing literature is research examining<br />
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the use of social media by tourism DMOs. Little research has been conducted to study<br />
how tourism entities are evolving with the Internet and using social media to market<br />
destinations and engage with potential consumers. Consequently, there is a lack of understanding<br />
of social media platforms and usage related to tourism” (Hays et al., 2012,<br />
p. 3).<br />
“Social media does provide new means for tourism organisations including destination<br />
marketing organisations (DMOs) to reengineer and implement their business<br />
models and operations, such as development of new services, marketing, networking<br />
and knowledge management” (Zeng, Gerritsen; 2014, p. 32).<br />
The goal of this paper is to analyse the social media usage by selected Croatian<br />
torusitic boards. Croatia has a legally regulated system of promoting Croatian tourism<br />
through national, regional and local organisations, i.e. offices that deal with the tourism<br />
promotion of certain areas. According to the Act on Tourist Boards and the Promotion<br />
of Croatian Tourism, “tourist boards in Croatia are in charge of creating a destination<br />
image and tourism promotion. Tourist boards are established to promote and<br />
improve Croatian tourism.” (Narodne novine, 152/08). This system has a total of 302<br />
registered units: the Main Office of the Croatian Tourist Board, twenty county tourist<br />
boards, nine area tourist boards, the Zagreb Tourist Board, 118 city tourist boards, 139<br />
municipality tourist boards and fourteen village tourist boards. (Horwath HTL Zagreb,<br />
2013, p. 8). The Act on Tourist Boards and the Promotion of Croatian Tourism (Narodne<br />
novine, 152/08) also sets common goals for tourist boards: tourist boards should encourage<br />
and initiate the development and improvement of the tourism product system;<br />
they should initiate the development of new tourism products in the area they are responsible<br />
for; they should promote tourism products of the area they are responsible<br />
for; they should develop awareness of the economic and social impacts of tourism and<br />
the importance of the preservation and improvement of all elements of a particular area’s<br />
tourism product, particularly the protection of the environment and natural and<br />
cultural heritage in accordance with sustainable development.<br />
Tourism is one of the main industries in Croatia. According to data from the Central<br />
Bureau of Statistics, there were 17.4 million arrivals and 86.2 million overnight stays<br />
in Croatia in 2017. In comparison to 2016, that is a 13% increase in arrivals and an 11%<br />
increase in overnight stays. This data points not only to the influence of tourism on<br />
Croatia’s industry, but especially to the growth Croatian tourism keeps achieving year<br />
after year. On the other hand, tourism is growing not only in Croatia but all around the<br />
world as well. In his paper “Odnosi s javnoπÊu — vodeÊa taktika u promociji turistiËkih<br />
regija” (Public Relations — a leading tactic in the promotion of tourist regions), JakovljeviÊ<br />
(2011, p. 119) states, “In long-term forecasts the World Tourism Organization<br />
(UNTWO) predicts a further growth of global tourism activities at a rate of 4.1% per<br />
year by 2020.” This indicates growth not only on a national level within Croatia, but also<br />
in a wider global context.<br />
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In this context, communication and promotion in tourism can play a crucial role<br />
in highlighting and profiling a tourist destination. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to<br />
analyse the communication of tourist boards to determine if new media is being used<br />
as a channel for destination communication and promotion.<br />
3. METHODOLOGY<br />
3.1. Research Method<br />
The purpose of this paper is to examine the format, themes and methods of communication<br />
of tourist boards in Croatia in certain time periods (pre-season, season and<br />
post-season) on their official Facebook pages. Quantitative content analysis is also<br />
called word frequency because, apart from determining the presence and characteristics<br />
of content, the frequency and volume of the expressed content is also shown<br />
(“What?”, “How?” and “How much?”) (Tkalac VerËiÊ et al., 2010, p. 92). Lamza Posavec<br />
(2006, p. 153) points out that quantitative content analysis is “an objectified method that<br />
allows certain qualitative characteristics of textual or visual material to be expressed in<br />
quantitative indicators.”<br />
3.2. Research Questions<br />
The aim of this paper is to answer the following research questions:<br />
RQ1: Do tourist boards in Croatia recognise social media as an important means<br />
of tourism promotion?<br />
RQ2: Do the selected tourist boards use social media to engage users?<br />
RQ3: What were the main topics of Facebook status messages on the official Facebook<br />
pages of selected tourist boards? Is there a difference in social media<br />
communication during the pre-season, season or post-season periods?<br />
3.3. Selecting a Time Period for Analysis and Sampling<br />
The sample for analysis was a Facebook post by a selected tourist board.<br />
An analysis of tourist boards from Dalmatia have been selected for this study. Dalmatia<br />
region is the second largest Croatian region when it comes to tourism traffic (National<br />
Bureau of Statistics, 2017). Within the region, a further selection of tourist boards<br />
was made based on the similarity principle. Namely, tourist boards that entered the final<br />
sample had to have similar natural-geographical characteristics, similar tourism services<br />
offered and a similar structure of guests. Thus, Vis, Hvar and KorËula Tourist<br />
Boards were chosen for the final sample.<br />
The social network chosen for the analysis was Facebook because it is still the<br />
most popular social network in the world (Statista, <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
The content analysis method was applied on a final sample of 320 Facebook status<br />
messages posted by three Adriatic tourist boards: Vis (1,876 FB users), Hvar (16,429<br />
FB users) and KorËula (6,515 FB users).<br />
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The analysis was divided into three main time periods: pre-season (April <strong>2018</strong>), season<br />
(July <strong>2018</strong>) and post-season (November 2017). The aim was to establish communication<br />
patterns over a wider period of time, not just during the peak tourist season.<br />
Table 1 Number of Facebook posts by tourist board and analysis period<br />
Vis (N = 56) Hvar (N = 52) KorËula (N = 212)<br />
Pre-season, <strong>2018</strong> 37 21 106<br />
Season, <strong>2018</strong> 11 26 86<br />
Post-season, 2017 8 5 20<br />
3.4. Research Analysis Plan<br />
The analysis was divided into three parts.<br />
In the first part of the analysis, the aim was to examine the format of status messages.<br />
in order to determine the style and manner of publishing on the official Facebook<br />
pages of the selected tourist boards.<br />
The second part of the analysis was focused on thematic analysis. The goal was<br />
to use the gathered information to come to a conclusion about the key content, themes<br />
and focus of the posts shared on the tourist boards’ official Facebook pages.<br />
The third part of the analysis investigated user engagement. With this part of the<br />
research we wanted to determine whether the selected tourist boards encouraged users<br />
to engage on their official Facebook profiles and if so, in which way.<br />
4. ANALYSIS RESULTS<br />
4.1. Format of the Status Message<br />
In the pilot study, we were able to establish the selected tourist boards’ frequency of<br />
posting on Facebook. The analysis showed that in a one-year period, the KorËula Tourist<br />
Board had the highest number of posts, especially in the pre-season period. In general,<br />
all the selected tourist boards posted most frequently in the pre-season period.<br />
Posting was frequent during the season, while it was sparse in the post-season. The<br />
KorËula Tourist Board was the only tourist board highlighted in this context because,<br />
even in the post-season, it posted content more frequently than the other tourist boards<br />
in the sample.<br />
Our analysis has shown that, although all tourist boards have a large number of<br />
users on their official Facebook pages — Vis (1,876 FB users), Hvar (16,429 FB users)<br />
and KorËula (6,515 FB users) — user feedback on the published content was not high.<br />
More specifically, not one post in the analysis period had more than 500 likes or more<br />
than ten comments. Although most posts were professionally prepared, (Vis 45%, Hvar<br />
86%, KorËula 51%) and content formatting showed strategies, this approach did not attract<br />
significant user feedback. This may be due to the previously mentioned inconsist-<br />
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Diagram 1 Frequency of posting on Facebook of the selected tourist boards over a one-year period<br />
Diagram 2 Visuals in Facebook status messages<br />
ent frequency and timeliness of posting throughout the year, as well as due to other<br />
reasons obtained in the analysis: the language of the post and its attachments.<br />
Regarding status attachments, Diagram 2 presents the visuals that tourist boards<br />
used in their Facebook posts. A similar trend of using photos, as opposed to videos, in<br />
Facebook posts is present throughout all the tourist boards. The KorËula Tourist Board<br />
stands out with its use of links, while the Hvar Tourist Board often uses emoticons in<br />
its posts. During the analysed period, none of the tourist boards used GIFs, memes or<br />
boomerangs in their post formats, but Vis and KorËula did use Facebook live on their<br />
pages.<br />
The analysis revealed valuable insight on the choice of language used in posts. The<br />
KorËula Tourist Board mostly used the English language in its posts, which shows that<br />
it is focused on the general public, especially guests and tourists coming from other<br />
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Diagram 3 Language of the status message<br />
Diagram 4 Main focus of the status message<br />
countries. On the other hand, the analysis found that the Vis Tourist Board used exclusively<br />
the Croatian language in all of its posts. This means the communication and promotion<br />
of their page is directed to the Croatian-speaking audience, which greatly reduces<br />
the promotional potential of Facebook as a communication channel. Diagram 3<br />
gives the ratio of Croatian language usage versus other languages by the tourist boards.<br />
4.2. Thematic Analysis<br />
The analysis showed that in the analysed period the selected tourist boards focused<br />
predominantly on promoting offline activities in their Facebook posts. This supports<br />
the result that all tourist boards post most frequently in the pre-season period, when<br />
one of the key topics is the announcement of events that will take place during the<br />
season. Apart from the promotion of offline activities, the prevailing trend among all<br />
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Diagram 5 Thematic focus of the status message<br />
Diagram 6 Engagement on Facebook pages of selected tourist boards<br />
the tourist boards was destination promotion. Diagram 4 shows the main focus of the<br />
selected tourist boards’ posts.<br />
When studying the predominant topic of Facebook posts, the analysis showed different<br />
data for different tourist boards. In the analysed period, Vis Tourist Board’s posts<br />
promoted celebrities who visited the destination just as often as they did cultural and<br />
historical sights. The Hvar Tourist Board focused mostly on the promotion of tourism<br />
services and possibilities as well as historical and cultural sights. On the other hand,<br />
the KorËula Tourist Board was closest to reaching an equilibrium when it comes to destination<br />
promotion; they posted about celebrities who visited the destination and cultural<br />
and historical sights. Diagram 5 shows the ratio of topics and thematic focus by<br />
the selected tourist boards.<br />
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S. Odak KrasiÊ, M. VolareviÊ, M. VuËkoviÊ: How do Croatian Tourist Boards Promote...<br />
4.3. Engagement<br />
In the category of user connection and engagement, our aim was to examine if the selected<br />
tourist boards engaged their Facebook followers to communicate via social media.<br />
We also examined whether they invited users to offline engagement events in an<br />
online environment and whether they encouraged social media users to take profitable<br />
action by inviting them to purchase products, by offering particular services and<br />
therefore profiting from commission, by asking for donations, etc.<br />
The analysis showed that all the selected tourist boards mostly invited their users<br />
to engage in offline activities. This is complemented by the part of the analysis that examined<br />
the main focus of the post — the promotion of offline activities. The information<br />
suggests that the selected tourist boards used social media channels as channels<br />
for promoting their activities and plans at the tourist destination. In addition to offline<br />
engagement, engaging users online with the ultimate goal of driving profitable action<br />
was also visible in their engagement strategy. relationship between engagement categories<br />
used by tourist boards is shown in Diagram 6.<br />
5. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION<br />
New media is particularly important for tourism communication and tourism promotion,<br />
as research shows that there is a growth of tourism supply and demand on a global<br />
scale, and it is projected to continue in the future as well. Croatia is keeping up with<br />
this trend, and in recent years, it has also profiled itself as a prominent European but<br />
also global tourist destination. That is precisely why tourism promotion is an important<br />
segment of a country’s promotion toward targeted audiences and markets. In this context,<br />
the aim of this paper was to examine the communication patterns and the way<br />
tourist boards promote destinations on social media.<br />
The analysis was divided into three parts and examined how the selected tourist<br />
boards used their social media profiles, which topics they posted about and whether<br />
they encouraged user engagement. Three tourist boards from Dalmatia were selected<br />
for the analysis sample based on the similarity criteria of geographical and tourist characteristics.<br />
Content analysis was conducted on the official Facebook profiles of the Vis,<br />
KorËula and Hvar Tourist Boards. Facebook was chosen as an example of a social network<br />
because it is still the most widely used social platform in the world, and it is also<br />
the most popular social network in Croatia (Arbona.hr, 2016). The analysis aim was<br />
to examine whether the selected tourist boards recognised social media as an important<br />
channel for tourism promotion and whether these channels were used only for<br />
promotion or for engaging users in communication as well. Furthermore, the aim of<br />
the analysis was to examine the topics of the tourist boards’ posts on official profiles<br />
and whether there was a difference in the timeliness of posting during the tourist preseason,<br />
season and post-season.<br />
The analysis has shown a general trend that is present in all the selected tourist<br />
boards, i.e. that social media channels are used as “extended hands” for other promo-<br />
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tional channels, that is, that social media is used as a “bulletin board”. All tourist boards<br />
mostly promote their offline events via their Facebook accounts, and they are less focused<br />
on the promotion of a destination's uniqueness. The targeted audiences of Facebook<br />
pages are mostly local residents because boards of Vis and Hvar published their<br />
social media posts in Croatian, except for the KorËula Tourist Board. The analysis<br />
showed the existence of a strategy in the way content was prepared: the use of professional<br />
photographs and professionally prepared content. However, the analysis did<br />
not show any significant creativity in destination promotion: neither in the media content<br />
posted, such as using video material, GIFs, boomerangs and other versions of social<br />
media content to attract user attention and engagement nor in user feedback to<br />
posted content. Regarding the frequency of publication, the analysis showed that during<br />
the selected periods, the KorËula Tourist Board posted most frequently and all the<br />
tourist boards posted most often in the pre-season.<br />
Thematic analysis has shown that tourist boards used their official accounts for<br />
promotional purposes, specifically for the promotion of events in the season and afterwards<br />
for the promotion of tourism facilities and services. As far as the topics themselves<br />
are concerned, they were mainly focused on displaying cultural and historical<br />
sights of the destination and celebrities who visited the destination.<br />
User engagement itself was focused on invitations to offline activities and offline<br />
gatherings, which goes hand in hand with the conclusion that Facebook is used to promote<br />
offline events. This result confirms the thesis that the selected tourist boards mostly<br />
use their social media channels to announce events and not so much as channels for<br />
destination promotion.<br />
The limitations of this study are the fact that only three similar tourist boards from<br />
a single region were selected, so a general conclusion could not be drawn on the use<br />
of social media in tourist boards in Croatia. Expanding the study to more tourist boards<br />
and having a one-year period of analysis would provide data that would allow general<br />
conclusions to be made on the ways tourist boards communicate through social media.<br />
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Tkalac VerËiÊ, A. SinËiÊ ∆oriÊ, D. & Poloπki VokiÊ, N. (2010). PriruËnik za metodologiju<br />
istraæivaËkog rada: kako osmisliti, provesti i opisati znanstveno i struËno istraæivanje.<br />
Zagreb: M.E.P. d.o.o.<br />
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Xiang, Z. (2010). Role of social media in online travel information search. Tourism<br />
Management, 31 (2): 179-188.<br />
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Zeng, B. & Gerritsen, R. (2014). What do we know about social media in tourism? A review.<br />
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SPORT AND RELIGION IN<br />
THE MEDITERRANEAN<br />
INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN SPORT AND RELIGION<br />
Scientific research has shown that there has been a high level of interconnection between<br />
sports and religion throughout the entire human civilization, and that sport and<br />
religion represent the two factors which are present in the social circle of majority of<br />
the people in modern societies (Jona, Okou, 2013, p. 46). Some researchers even claim<br />
that religious values are indivisible from sports ideology because sports contain many<br />
religious features — for example self-control, commitment, perseverance, systematic<br />
and devoted work — which affect shaping people and their character (Eitzen, Sage,<br />
1997, p. 364).<br />
Similar to believers, athletes consciously invest their time and effort to live a certain<br />
way according to the rules, so they can be better positioned to fulfil their athletic<br />
or religious purpose. To achieve better results and acquire as many accolades, athletes<br />
live in a very planned and methodical way and withhold themselves from many common<br />
things, habits and pleasures which is very similar to the way for religious people<br />
to achieve the fulfilled spiritual purpose according to their religious principles (Hoffman,<br />
1992, p. 8).<br />
Numerous and diverse scientific research points to the complex interrelationship<br />
and great association of faith and sport in today's modern world. In order to overcome<br />
all the challenges posed to athletes, and to achieve the desired sporting goal, it is not<br />
enough to be just physically strong and prepared. Great importance also goes to the<br />
spiritual and mental part of the athlete, that is, the ability of the emotions and the mind<br />
of athletes to withstand all that the expectations and burdens placed before them<br />
(<strong>Zbornik</strong> saæetaka, 2003).<br />
The results of a recent survey show that as many as 93% of athletes believe in God<br />
(Spehnjak, KuËiπ, 2015, p. 44), which means that athletes have faith present in their<br />
lives more often than average people. This becomes understandable once we realize<br />
the overwhelming psychophysical requirements for doing sports. Research has shown<br />
that faith and spirituality help improve emotional and cognitive functions which, in return,<br />
help the individual accept their responsibility and understand themself and others<br />
better (Miller-Perin, Mancuso, 2014., p. 24).<br />
Athletes are constantly exposed to severe physical exertions and great psychological<br />
tensions, and often to crushing psychological moments or conditions. Many athletes<br />
testify that their faith has been vital in overcoming such challenges and crises, and<br />
that it constantly helps them maintain psychological stability and freshness, as well as<br />
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keeping them prepared to face all the challenges and great expectations that sport<br />
brings with it.<br />
It should also be stressed out that many religious leaders emphasise the positive<br />
attitude of religion and themselves towards sports and they actively promote and encourage<br />
people to do sports. For example, leaders of the Catholic Church have referred<br />
to sport as a positive activity in various public manifestations that helps man approach<br />
God. Many religious officials were active athletes during their youth. So was Pope John<br />
Paul II., who was a soccer goalkeeper, climber and skier as a young man (Nemec 1979,<br />
p. 49, 50).<br />
Therefore, from a social point of view, faith and sport can be viewed as systems<br />
that emphasize compatible values and goals, including overcoming personal desires<br />
and interests in favour of common goals. Faith, as well as sports, puts an emphasis on<br />
fellowship and cooperation as well as personal renunciation and sacrifice for the community's<br />
prosperity (Womack, 2005, p. 35). From a humanistic perspective, sport can<br />
be viewed as a true school of health, mental hygiene, self-control, discipline, freedom,<br />
creativity, pleasure, fun, joy, catharsis, competition, celebration; it can simply be a lifestyle<br />
that first and foremost has its own value (MarjanoviÊ, 2012, p. 1202).<br />
One of the main prerequisites for an athlete to be sucessful is their psychophysical<br />
health. The assumption that there is a positive correlation between psychological<br />
health and religion has been confirmed in series of studies. In twenty studies conducted<br />
between 1998 and 2004 — in which the correlation between piety/spirituality and<br />
psychological health was studied — 90% of the research confirmed the hypothesis that<br />
faith positively influences humans psychic health (Tekin, Calstcir, Tekin, Deresteli, vol.<br />
11, p. 165).<br />
Research has shown that top sporting coaches and managers are also most commonly<br />
believers. As such, they can more easily understand and have a more complex<br />
quality relationship with the athletes they are in charge of because athletes themselves<br />
are mostly believers (Storch, 2001, p. 348).<br />
In addition to the direct influence of religion and sport on an individual, their behaviour,<br />
views on life and their psychophysical health, another similarity of sport and<br />
religion is that they interact indirectly through a number of other life components in<br />
the contemporary society; from business, dressing and the concept of a hero to language,<br />
ethical values and interpersonal relationships (Boyle, 2011). We can therefore<br />
safely say that human behaviour, social relations and cultures have always been significantly<br />
shaped by sport as well as religion, and the Mediterranean has in many respects<br />
been a cradle to both of these things.<br />
MEDITERRANEAN — THE MEETING SPACE OF<br />
SPORT AND RELIGION<br />
The shaping of the culture, religion and lifestyles on the Mediterranean area has lasted<br />
continuously for several millennia. During that time, the civilization achievements from<br />
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the Mediterranean left a deep mark on the entire continent of Europe, and in the new<br />
age, the Mediterranean influences expanded throughout the western civilization circle<br />
and other parts of the world. In this context, when it comes to sport and religion, the<br />
Olympic Games are one of the best examples that can be used to show the enormous<br />
influence of the Mediterranean area throughout the world.<br />
The first modern Olympic games were held in Athens, Greece in 1896. Because<br />
of the great effort of their founder Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the venue for the first<br />
modern Olympic Games was not randomly chosen, as their launch in the modern era<br />
was encouraged and inspired by the ancient Olympic Games that had been held in<br />
Greece from the 8th century BC until the 4th century AD. The ancient Olympic Games<br />
were held in honour of the Greek gods, giving them an accentuated religious dimension.<br />
The modern Olympic games do not base their existence on religious motives, but<br />
they also contain many religious features from the antiquity, such as the Olympic<br />
Flame, the Olympic torch, and the life philosophy that is explained by the term<br />
“Olympism” in the Olympic Charter. Olympism as a life philosophy, similar to religion,<br />
contains its principles, rules of conduct and ethics, and is striving to create a certain<br />
way of life. Apart from these general, model-like similarities between sport and religion,<br />
researchers rightly point out that comparison the details shows a number of other<br />
similarities and links between sport and religion.<br />
Most of the ancient cultures in their religious practices included different sports<br />
(running, jumping, throwing, wrestling and even ball games), thus gaining a certain status<br />
of holiness. The foremost example of this is the ancient Olympics who had their<br />
roots in religion and are considered sacred games (Lay, 1993). They were held in honor<br />
of the god Zeus and they had a number of athletic and martial arts competitions between<br />
representatives of the Greek city-states. The first ancient Olympic Games were<br />
held in 776 BC and the last in 393 AD. They were held every four years, so this custom<br />
was transferred to the modern Olympics.<br />
The ancient Olympic Games are certainly the greatest example of the interplay between<br />
sport and religion as well as their influence on social life of the Greeks and the<br />
wider Mediterranean area of that era. Greek City-states at the time opposed each other<br />
in frequent wars, and the Olympic Games were one of the main integrative factors,<br />
which is recognized by the fact that the so-called Sacred truce (Ekecheiria) was active<br />
during the Olympic Games, which meant that all hostilities and wars were put on hold<br />
during the Olympic Games. The power to stop armed conflicts within a heterogeneous<br />
Greek society points to the extraordinary importance of the Games and to the supernatural<br />
veneration not to provoke the anger of Greek gods. In addition to the ancient<br />
Olympic Games, other sporting competitions of that time regularly had a variety of religious<br />
contexts and were held in honour of the gods close to their shrines.<br />
Founder of the modern Olympic Games Baron Pierre de Coubertin hoped that rebuilding<br />
such a great sporting event would succeed in reconciling the whole world, as<br />
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it did for the old Greeks a few millennia ago. Although the modern Olympics have failed<br />
to achieve the Olympic truce, they have developed into the largest sporting event<br />
in the modern world, with billions of people watching and enormous economic and<br />
marketing influence. The incredible rise in popularity and influence of the modern<br />
Olympic Games is also reflected in some numerical indicators which clearly show it.<br />
The first modern Olympic Games (Athens, 1896) had 280 athletes from 12 countries<br />
who competed in 43 sports disciplines, while the recent Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in<br />
<strong>2018</strong> had over 11,000 athletes from as many as 205 countries, and they competed in<br />
306 different sports disciplines.<br />
It can be said that the modern Olympic Games have spread to the whole world<br />
like faith and that they regularly convey messages of peace, communion and international<br />
cooperation, which is explicitly expressed in the Olympic Charter:<br />
“Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole<br />
the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education,<br />
Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value<br />
of good example, social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental ethical<br />
principles.” (The Olympic Charter)<br />
One of the indicators of the interrelationship of religion with the modern Olympic<br />
Games that is rarely mentioned is the fact that the Olympic motto Faster, Higher,<br />
Stronger (lat. Citius, Altius, Fortius) was designed by a Dominican priest, Henri Didon,<br />
who was a friend of Baron Pierre de Coubertin (Guttmann, 1994, p. 41).<br />
The long tradition of sport in the Mediterranean area has influenced the creation<br />
of a separate sports competition called Mediterranean Games, which are held every<br />
four years and whose participants come from the Mediterranean countries. The organization<br />
and implementation of the event itself is supervised by the International Committee<br />
of Mediterranean Games (ICMG).<br />
The first official Mediterranean Games were held in Alexandria (Egypt) in 1951,<br />
with 10 countries participating and a total of 734 athletes competing in 14 different<br />
sports (Bell, 2016, p. 210). In the most recent, 18th Mediterranean Games, held in Tarragona<br />
(Spain), 4541 athletes from 26 countries participated in 28 sport disciplines. It<br />
is also important to note that the city host for the Mediterranean Games was always<br />
placed on the Mediterranean sea. The only exception occurred in 1983 when the games<br />
were held in Casablanca (Morocco).<br />
A special place in the Mediterranean sports and religious sense belongs to the<br />
Maccabiah Games (also called the “Jewish Olympics”), which are the third largest<br />
sports event in the world and are organized by the Maccabi World Union, an international<br />
sports organization spread across 50 countries on five continents and with over<br />
400,000 members. Jews regularly come from all over the world to participate in the<br />
Games. The first Maccabiah Games were held in 1932 in Palestine, and 390 athletes<br />
competed from 14 countries competed (Nauright, Parrish, 2012, p. 365), while the last<br />
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(19th) games were held in 2013 in Israel and had over 7500 athletes from 77 countries<br />
participating (Kaplan, 2015, p. 43).<br />
This tremendous increase in the number of competitors at the Maccabiah Games<br />
is an indicator of continued investment, as well as the Jewish community's great interest<br />
in sporting events and their great contribution to sports culture, ethics and behaviour.<br />
The fact that members of a worldwide religion, whose country is placed in the<br />
Mediterranean, regularly organize such a big sporting competition speaks very much in<br />
favour of how much sports and faith are interconnected and foster cooperation on a<br />
global level.<br />
RENOWNED MEDITERRANEAN ATHLETES AND RELIGION<br />
Apart from the unquestionable cultural contribution to both European and world culture,<br />
the Mediterranean people are also extremely gifted in sports. The best example<br />
to support that is one of the most prestigious sports competitions — the world cup. Although<br />
the total population of European countries in the Mediterranean is about 200<br />
million (which is only 2.5% of the world's population), the Mediterranean countries<br />
have so far won 7 out of the 21 World Cups (Italy won 4, France 2 and Spain 1). This<br />
very interesting piece of information clearly shows the excellent quality of sports talent<br />
in the Mediterranean.<br />
Many top athletes from the Mediterranean area have frequently publicly testified<br />
to their faith, whether by concrete statements or pilgrimages to famous sanctuaries —<br />
emphasizing the great role religion had on their way to success.<br />
Luka ModriÊ — world's best soccer player in <strong>2018</strong>, the winner of the Ballon d’Or<br />
(Golden Ball), a silver medallist from the Football World cup, the winner of 3 Champions<br />
Leagues — stated the following after breaking the 10-year-old dominance of Cristiano<br />
Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in winning the Golden Ball:<br />
“This is an incredible feeling. Not only because of the two of them (Ronaldo and<br />
Messi), but also because of all other famous players who were competing for this<br />
award. During my career I have always been aware that hard work and faith in difficult<br />
moments are the key to success. The best things never come easily“. 1<br />
Antoine Griezmann — the captain of the French football team, which won the<br />
World Cup in football in <strong>2018</strong> — testified his faith in a picturesque way:<br />
“I have bathed in faith since childhood... I continue to burn candles regularly in<br />
the Church” 2<br />
Ivica KosteliÊ, the most successful Croatian skier in history, won gold, silver and<br />
bronze medals at World Cups, as well as four silver medals at the Winter Olympic<br />
Games. He also won the “big crystal globe” as the winner of a skiing cup and five<br />
1 http://balkans.aljazeera.net/vijesti/modric-osvojio-zlatnu-loptu-rad-i-vjera-su-kljuc-uspjeha<br />
2 http://www.catholicnewsworld.com/<strong>2018</strong>/07/wow-football-star-antoine-greizmann-who.html<br />
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“small globes” for the slalom and super-combination. His testimony of faith is extremely<br />
deep and self-aware:<br />
“I am a baptized member of the Catholic Church. I believe in God and in Jesus<br />
Christ. Prayer was present since my earliest childhood memories. It was nine years<br />
when I discovered a thick book which had ‘The Bible’ written on it in gold letters. It's<br />
a book of great wisdom, and it's understandable to everyone... Jesus is my teacher, my<br />
life. He has led me and still leads me through the paths of self-knowledge. Faithless<br />
life is depraved. Faith gives us wings; it is the wind in our sails. I often talk to God in<br />
prayer”...<br />
”Faith is constantly present in my life; I pray and talk to God daily. In moments<br />
of doubt, big decisions or during great success, I remember all the efforts and my faith<br />
which led me to success. I know that God follows me as He has followed me when I<br />
walked through my path, and that is the power which I get from my daily conversation<br />
with God.”...<br />
“I would tell everyone, believers and non-believers, to enjoy the life God has given<br />
them. Keep in mind that your life is gifted from God, as is everything that surrounds<br />
us”...<br />
“I try to show non-believers that God and faith can give a new dimension to a life<br />
which seems meaningless. God gives meaning to everything. It is easier to endure failure<br />
and defeat and move forward into a decisive fight with more confidence when you<br />
believe in God.” 3<br />
Theodoros Zagorakis, the captain of the Greek football team which won the European<br />
Football Championship in 2004, said:<br />
“God blessed us to have this unique experience. It was a gift from heaven.” 4<br />
Marin »iliÊ is a very successful Croatian tennis player. After winning the US Open<br />
Grand Slam he said:<br />
“I would like to thank all my supporters who have come in great numbers and<br />
who have supported me through all these years — when it was good and when it was<br />
difficult. I also wish to thank my parents. Without them I surely would never have succeeded.<br />
And thank God and Holy Mother Mary who have shown me the way and bestowed<br />
me this gift.” 5<br />
Sergio Ramos, the captain of the Spanish football team and Real Madrid football<br />
club, the winner of the World Cup and 3 Champions Leagues, stated:<br />
“I consider myself a believer; I come from a Christian family who has always believed<br />
in God. At the end of the day, everything comes down to where you have grown<br />
3 http://www.laudato.hr/Novosti/Sport/Ivica-Kostelic--Vjera-%E2%80%93-prvi-pokretac-covjeka.<br />
aspx?lang=de-DE<br />
4 http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/news/newsid=664629.html<br />
5 http://hu-benedikt.hr/?p=24362<br />
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up and the way you accept everything around you so that I consider myself a religious.”<br />
6<br />
Blanka VlaπiÊ, the best Croatian female high jumper in history, won silver and<br />
bronze medals at the Olympic Games and 4 gold medals at World Championships, as<br />
well as 3 World Cups said:<br />
“What happened today was a gift from God. This was nothing of me, I did not<br />
think I was worthy of a medal, but God is merciful and hears prayers. Thank you to<br />
all of those who prayed for me.” 7<br />
Dejan Bodiroga, Serbian basketball player and the winner of 3 European Championships,<br />
2 World Championships and the Euroligue stated:<br />
“For me, the birth of Christ is a great event. Celebration of Christmas, Christmas<br />
Eve, going to the liturgy, receiving Communion and having a family gathering — all<br />
this is joy.” 8<br />
Gordan Koæulj is one of the most successful Croatian swimmers. He was the European<br />
and World Swimming Champion and he broke the European (100 m backstroke)<br />
and World records (200 m backstroke). He said:<br />
“I'm deeply aware that, especially at the beginning of my swimming career, I did<br />
not have any particular swinging predispositions. I'm not extremely tall or strong, I do<br />
not have long feet or big hands, I am not very explosive nor do I have great stamina.<br />
There are more talented swimmers in Croatia than me. Yet, I have achieved a lot of<br />
success, all with a huge faith in God as well as in my abilities.”<br />
“I always go back to praying, talk to God and share my deepest desires and fears,<br />
and I know very well that everyday things are also a part of His great plan. Unlike<br />
many athletes who resort to certain rituals at the start of the competition, use talismans,<br />
movements, etc. ‘for good luck’, I do not believe it. One believes or does not believe<br />
in God. That, I think, is the only important thing. Faith in God is enough for everyone.<br />
Jesus came to release us from our sins, not from reasoning. I think everything is in<br />
God's hands. God is love, and love is everything” (Bermanec, 2014, pp. 45-46).<br />
Zlatko DaliÊ, the manager of the Croatian national football team which won a silver<br />
medal at the World Cup in Russia in <strong>2018</strong>, stressed:<br />
“Faith gives me strength; I always have a rosary in my pocket and pray before the<br />
game. I thank God for every day, because he gave me strength and faith, but also the<br />
opportunity to do something with my life.”<br />
“I have been a believer all my life, so I raise my children that way too. Every Sunday<br />
I try to receive the Eucharist. I thank God for every day because he has given me<br />
strength and faith, but also the opportunity to do something with my life. For me and<br />
6 https://hollowverse.com/sergio-ramos/<br />
7 http://www.dnevno.hr/magazin/lifestyle/blanka-vlasic-u-suzama-ono-sto-se-danas-dogodiloje-bozji-dar-ovo-nista-nije-bilo-od-mene-bog-je-milostiv-826104/<br />
8 http://www.telegraf.rs/sport/1379380-sport-i-religija-ovih-5-srpskih-sportista-su-najveci-vernici<br />
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my family, faith is extremely important. God is present every day in my family and<br />
life.”...<br />
“With me, faith is a constant, and for all I have done in life and in my career I can<br />
thank my faith in God. I keep saying that I can really be very happy with how things<br />
have worked out for me. Without strong faith and a solid motive, it is difficult to accomplish<br />
that. I always carry my rosary with me, and when I feel this certain moment,<br />
I put my hand in my pocket, I cling to it and everything gets easier.“ 9<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
Based on archaeological findings, it is often pointed out that people in the early days<br />
of civilization used different metaphors, legends and myths to try to explain the meaning<br />
of life, and in those times, different kinds of simple beliefs were born. However, a<br />
lesser known fact is that many of the old myths about the creation of the world, religious<br />
customs, and religious drama included various types of physical activity, i.e.<br />
sports games (Baker, 2007, p. 6). This means that the relationship between sport and<br />
faith can be traced from the beginning that time.<br />
In all of this, the Mediterranean area has a prominent place, and can justifiably be<br />
referred to as the cradle of faith and sport, as well as their mutual connection. Large<br />
sports events started happening in the Mediterranean area during the ancient times,<br />
which were largely intertwined with religious meanings. The most obvious proof of this<br />
are the ancient Olympic Games which had their foundations in religion, which clearly<br />
shows that sport and beliefs from ancient times were interrelated and that athletes were<br />
mostly religious people.<br />
A series of modern examples presented in this article shows that the Mediterranean<br />
is also an initiator and a focal point of modern sports, just as it was in the ancient<br />
times. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the first great sports games (the ancient<br />
Olympic Games) started in the Mediterranean and that the modern Olympic Games<br />
were restored at the end of the 19th century to this same tradition and in the same region.<br />
The Mediterranean has remained a place of emphasized connection of faith,<br />
sport, culture and other complementary aspects in the contemporary world, which is<br />
manifested in the organization of large sports events and the achievements of athletes<br />
from the Mediterranean region.<br />
The complex and deep connection between sport and faith is witnessed in numerous<br />
testimonies and various public statements of top athletes, who undoubtedly state<br />
that their path to success required a strong spiritual base and that they most commonly<br />
find it in religion. These athletes' responses are also in line with the aforementioned<br />
scientific research that shows that athletes are much easier to master the extraordinarily<br />
demanding psycho-physical efforts and other sporting challenges if they have religious<br />
components present in their lives.<br />
9 https://www.bitno.net/vjera/aktualnosti/zlatko-dalic-hrvatska-argentina/<br />
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In conclusion, it can be said that the facts presented in this paper show that sport,<br />
religion and their interrelation have an ever increasing social role in the Mediterranean<br />
area and in other parts of the modern world, and that there is an objective need for<br />
further research on these subjects, which was also the main goal of insights presented<br />
in this work.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Watson, N. J., Parker, A. (2014), Sport and the Christian Religion, A Systematic Review of Literature,<br />
Cambridge Scholars Publishing.<br />
Womack, M. (2005), Sports and Religion (Encyclopedia of Religion).<br />
Internet sources<br />
http://balkans.aljazeera.net/vijesti/modric-osvojio-zlatnu-loptu-rad-i-vjera-su-kljuc-uspjeha<br />
http://www.catholicnewsworld.com/<strong>2018</strong>/07/wow-football-star-antoine-greizmann-who.html<br />
http://www.laudato.hr/Novosti/Sport/Ivica-Kostelic--Vjera-%E2%80%93-prvi-pokretac-covjeka.<br />
aspx?lang=de-DE<br />
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/news/newsid=664629.html<br />
http://hu-benedikt.hr/?p=24362<br />
https://hollowverse.com/sergio-ramos/<br />
http://www.dnevno.hr/magazin/lifestyle/blanka-vlasic-u-suzama-ono-sto-se-danas-dogodilo-je-bozjidar-ovo-nista-nije-bilo-od-mene-bog-je-milostiv-826104/<br />
http://www.telegraf.rs/sport/1379380-sport-i-religija-ovih-5-srpskih-sportista-su-najveci-vernici<br />
https://www.bitno.net/vjera/aktualnosti/zlatko-dalic-hrvatska-argentina/<br />
442
Dina UgleπiÊ: Net<br />
OTHER ISSUES
Tihana BABI∆, Silvija GRGI∆<br />
NET GENERATION AND PERCEPTION<br />
OF THE ELECTRONIC VIOLENCE<br />
THE YOUTH: LIVING IN A WORLD OF CHANGES<br />
AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES<br />
Things that we could not even imagine before are the things we cannot imagine living<br />
without today. The Internet, often referred to as the “network of all networks,” has<br />
more and more users every day. We live in a time in which networked societies are on<br />
the rise (Castells, 2008: 38). Networking has increased significantly with the appearance<br />
of social networks. Due to the simplicity of their use and accessibility, as well as the<br />
fact they encorporateall known types of media, social networks are gaining users on a<br />
daily basis. However, while the number of Internet users is increasing, especially in the<br />
context of social networks, the amount of negative and harmful effects and content,<br />
such as electronic violence, is also on the rise.<br />
The influence of network environment is so intense that younger generations are<br />
defined through media and technology. In the modern society, youth is considered the<br />
period of life between childhood and adulthood with the increasing tendency of prolongation.<br />
The influence of network surroundings is so intense that the young generation<br />
is defined in literature through media and technology more than ever before. This<br />
is a generation of young people who have fun, socialize, learn, work, buy and communicate<br />
with the help of technology, spending time on the Internet combining fun<br />
and learning. The names used for this generation are usually: Net generation, Y generation,<br />
millennials or network generation (net geners) (»aËiÊ, 2012: 81). Despite the<br />
opinions of certain authors that the affiliation with a specific generation is not determined<br />
solely by the time someone is born, but entails someone’s attitude towards beliefs,<br />
values, culture norms and material conditions, the Net generation (Y, millennials)<br />
in Croatia, which will be analysed in this paper, is not characterized by a digital divide,<br />
since most pupils and students have access to computers and the Internet, if not at<br />
home, then at least in schools, universities and libraries (»aËiÊ, 2012: 82). While on the<br />
one hand, the availability and the exposure to a large amount of information entail the<br />
increase in choices and freedom; on the other hand, they carry a certain risk in cases<br />
where individuals, particularly children and young people, do not have a formed system<br />
of evaluation (»aËiÊ, 2012: 85).<br />
Considering that their lives have been intertwined with information technology,<br />
the members of the Net generation do not particularly care about the personal infor-<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Figure 1 The Eight Net Gen Norms (Source: done by the author according to Tapscott, 2008).<br />
mation they post on social networks. They carelessly share information about themselves<br />
and others on social networks with the intention of exchanging whaty find interesting,<br />
completely neglecting the fact that the Internet does not forget (BiliÊ 2015,<br />
according to Tapscott, 2011). Respecting others is also considered a significant moral<br />
problem of young people in the virtual world. A popular opinion and a misconception<br />
about the Internet is that it is a world free of obstacles and limitations, and that no specific<br />
rules of conduct have been strictly defined. Furthermore, anonymity is another factor<br />
which contributes to the decrease of perpetrators’ fears they might be located and<br />
sanctioned. In addition, the absence of effective feedback on the harm and the pain<br />
their behaviour can inflict on their victims, as well as the opinion that this type of behaviour<br />
cannot be considered immoral since there are no visible consequences and<br />
there is a distance from the damage their actions cause, they feel more encouraged to<br />
perceive the aforementioned behaviour as entertainment or a joke (BiliÊ, 2015).<br />
According to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics data for 2017, the youngest population<br />
(between the ages of 16 and 24) is still on the forefront of computer use and individual<br />
computer use, while the number of users is decreasing exponentially with the<br />
rise in their age. A similar trend has been observed in the work status structure where<br />
pupils and students represent most frequent computer users.<br />
Modern information society is not only “a society of knowledge” but also a society<br />
confronted with problems in the educational development, an example of which<br />
would be the expansion of values oriented towards a hedonistic or idle concept of living.<br />
Press, radio, TV and the Internet are overwhelmingly focusing on providing their<br />
viewers with entertainment content at the expense of informative, educational and scientific<br />
content (Miliπa, ToliÊ, Vertovπek, 2009: 13, according to Miliπa, 2006). The youth<br />
and children are not only the most represented age groups on Internet websites but also<br />
the most vulnerable age group of the modern information society.<br />
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T. BabiÊ, S. GrgiÊ: Net Generation and Perception of Electronic Violence<br />
Figure 2 Computer users by age in Croatia, year 2017 (Source: Croatian Bureau of Statistics).<br />
Figure 3 Internet users by age in Croatia, year 2017 (Source: Croatian Bureau of Statistics).<br />
ELECTRONIC VIOLENCE<br />
Any communication activity (via e-mails, web pages, blogs, videos, by means of computers,<br />
mobile phones, tablets etc.) which serves to humiliate, mock, threaten or terrorize<br />
a person in any shape or form, can be considered cyberbullying. This is particularly<br />
problematic in the context of children and young people, since the end goal is<br />
always to hurt, disconcert and harm a child in other ways, be it via text or video messages,<br />
photographs, calls or negative comments. Cyberbullying can be perpetrated by<br />
a single person, multiple people and even children themselves and it is a general term<br />
for any kind of communication activity through technology which could be considered<br />
harmful to both the individual and the general good.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Considering the fact that, while discussing violence in the media, many scientists<br />
cannot come to a mutual understanding on what constitutes violent content, there are<br />
three key elements which serve to distinguish between definitions:<br />
• Intent — a question is posed whether an intent to perpetrate violence needs to<br />
exist; that is, whether, alongside murders and other inflictions of severe physical<br />
injuries, one could qualify accidents and natural disasters as violent acts?<br />
• Damage caused by an act of violence — should the pain inflicted on both humans<br />
and animals be considered violence, and what about violence committed<br />
against material things?<br />
• Types of violence — can violence be both physical and verbal? (Kaniæaj, Ciboci,<br />
2011: 15, according to Potter, 1999: 64).<br />
One of the most recent and commonly used definitions is Potter’s definition of violence<br />
in the media which defines violence as “the harm to one’s physical and emotional<br />
well-being”, covering all the aforementioned elements (Kaniæaj, Ciboci, 2011: 16,<br />
according to Potter, 1999: 67).<br />
Although the discussions on what exactly online risks and violence entail have not<br />
been finalized, generally speaking, one could state that online risks include both intentional<br />
and inadvertent experiences which increase the probability of harm at the expense<br />
of an Internet user, including pornographic, violent and racist content, content<br />
by means of which users harm themselves, as well as content full of violence, inappropriate<br />
and potentially harmful content such as soliciting or disturbing, and finally, the<br />
issue that has been drawing a lot of attention in recent times — problematic behaviours<br />
among peers such as harassing, “happy slapping” or attacks on privacy. The risks<br />
could also be categorized by content risks (a child is the receiver of unwanted or inappropriate<br />
mass communication), contact risks (child participates in risky peer or personal<br />
communication), and conduct risks (a child contributes to risky content or contact<br />
through their acts) (Staksrud, Livingstone, 2009).<br />
Apart from the irrelevant information, we are exposed to morally and ethically<br />
harmful information on racism, religious intolerance, pornography, violence and information<br />
that promote various religious and economic ideologies, some of which are reflected<br />
in the so-called digital divide between the information-rich countries and those<br />
that do not have access to the information necessary for sustained and balanced development<br />
and progress of the entire world, especially poor countries (Nevins, 2004). On<br />
the other hand, the use of new media, especially the Internet, is what constitutes an<br />
entry ticket to a normal life today: those who are not “media literate” are in danger of<br />
being isolated from various aspects of life. Pedagogues and educators believe that they<br />
are already late in terms of education and that they need to make up for the time lost<br />
or wasted, andtheir approaches to media education and media literacy education vary<br />
(Labaπ, 2015 according to Uldrijan, 2011).<br />
448
T. BabiÊ, S. GrgiÊ: Net Generation and Perception of Electronic Violence<br />
RESEARCH AMONG STUDENTS OF<br />
ALGEBRA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE<br />
The research was conducted through two separate surveys over the course of two<br />
years, and on two different groups of participants withboth groups corresponding to<br />
the definition of Net generation. The first survey was conducted in June of 2016 in the<br />
summer semester of the academic year 2015/2016, while the second survey was conducted<br />
in September of <strong>2018</strong> in the the summer semester of the academic year<br />
2017/<strong>2018</strong>. The results of both surveys are based on the answers given by the participants<br />
within the student population at Algebra University College. The data givenbelow<br />
was obtained from the survey questionnaires which were comprised of twelve<br />
questions and had been anonymously filled out by students. Considering the fact that<br />
the students in both groups are members of the Net generation, which increasingly uses<br />
the media and social networks in particular as a communication channel, the research<br />
tried to determine whether the students of Algebra University College were familiar<br />
with terms such as cyberbullying and the concept of electronic violence on social<br />
networks. Another research goal was to determine whether the students had ever<br />
been victims of electronic violence or participated in some kind of electronic violence<br />
against another person on social networks.<br />
SAMPLE DESCRIPTION<br />
In the academic year 2015/2016, 590 students with an active student status were enrolled<br />
in the undergraduate programs at Algebra University College, while in the academic<br />
year 2017/<strong>2018</strong>, 820 students were enrolled. The total number of survey participants<br />
was 146. The first survey had 73 participants, students of the following undergraduate<br />
programs: Applied Computing and Multimedia Computing. Table 1 shows the<br />
structure of the participants in the academic year 2015/2016.<br />
Table 1 The structure of participants by study program, gender and academic year 2015/2016<br />
Undergraduate Stydy Applied Computing Multimedia Computing<br />
Total number of Students per Study Program (N) 49 24<br />
Number of Students by gender<br />
Male 46 22<br />
Female 3 2<br />
Number of Students per academic year<br />
First year 13 9<br />
Second year 22 15<br />
Third year 14 0<br />
The second survey had 73 participants, students of the following undergraduate<br />
study programs: Applied Computing, Multimedia Computing and Digital Marketing. Table<br />
2 shows the structure of the participants in the academic year 2017/<strong>2018</strong>.<br />
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Table 2 The structure of participants by study program, gender and academic year 2017/<strong>2018</strong><br />
Undergraduate Stydy Applied Computing Multimedia Computing Digital Marketing<br />
Total number of Students<br />
per Study Program (N) 39 19 15<br />
Number of Students by gender<br />
Male 36 16 9<br />
Female 3 3 6<br />
Number of Students per academic year<br />
First year 19 10 12<br />
Second year 17 8 3<br />
Third year 3 1 0<br />
The overall ratio of all student participants according to gender is 88% male to 12%<br />
female participants. The overall ratio of student participants in regard to their study year<br />
is as follows: 43% are first-year students, 12% are second-year students, while third-year<br />
undergraduate students account for 45% of the total number of participants. The average<br />
age of participants is between 19 and 22.<br />
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY<br />
Apart from the general objective of the research, i.e. determining whether the students<br />
who use social networks as a communication channel are familiar with the terms and<br />
types of activities concerning electronic violence and the safety of communication,<br />
some other issues, such as the students’ familiarity with the terms such as cyberbullying,<br />
bullying and social network harassment, as well as their general knowledge of the<br />
concept of electronic violence on social networks were also tested. The research also<br />
tried to determine whether those students who use social networks had ever been a<br />
victim of electronic violence on social networks or whether they had participated in<br />
some form of electronic violence against a person on social networks. Finally, the research<br />
tried to define whether students perceive electronic violence as harmless and/or<br />
fun. The lack of will or ability of some participants to fill out the survey for numerous<br />
reasons appeared to be the main limiting factor.<br />
INSTRUMENTS<br />
The survey data are collected by means of a survey questionnaire with closed questions<br />
and pre-defined answers. In six of the questions students were able to offer their<br />
own answer. One of the questions offered the possibility of choosing between two different<br />
suggested responses (yes or no), two questions required a student to answer by<br />
choosing a level of frequency on a Likert-type scale (never, rarely, sometimes, often,<br />
most often), two questions required an answer by choosing an option on a Likert-type<br />
level of agreement scale (no, partly no, neither yes, nor no, partly yes, yes) while other<br />
questions required the participants to choose between multiple answers. The re-<br />
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T. BabiÊ, S. GrgiÊ: Net Generation and Perception of Electronic Violence<br />
search was conducted collectively and anonymously. The participants were briefed on<br />
the purpose of the research both orally and in writing on the actual survey questionnaire<br />
paper. No ambiguities were reported in the questionnaire, so one can conclude<br />
that the questions were clear.<br />
The data was processed using quantitative statistical analysis of pre-isolated variables<br />
as well as the description of the condition and the identification of casual links<br />
between individual components.<br />
RESEARCH RESULTS<br />
It has not been noted that the research results show any differences based on gender,<br />
student status or study year, therefore the aforementioned variables were not used to<br />
present the results.<br />
The answer to the research goal 1:<br />
Are the students familiar with terms such as cyberbullying, bullying and social<br />
network harassment?<br />
The majority of participants, that is 56% of them, consider cyberbullying to be any<br />
form of communication by means of cyber technology that could be considered harmful<br />
for an individual and the greater good, while 43% of them believe this term refers<br />
to any kind of communication by means of cyber technology that is harmful for an individual.<br />
In regard to the question on bullying, the possible answers were coded in 6<br />
variables, where five of them offered pre-defined answers, while the sixth referred to<br />
the possibility of arbitrary answer entry (Table 3). There was also the option of choosing<br />
between multiple answers. The frequency of response was 447 with all the participants<br />
offering an answer to the posed question. Out of the total number of participants,<br />
which was 146, most of them associate bullying with websites which identify<br />
and shame private persons, with photographs which degrade private persons and with<br />
sharing personal information in order to blackmail or harass other people with unwarranted<br />
friend requests or messages. 5% of the participants chose the answer “other” and<br />
offered as a response “in recent times it can be anything” or “I don’t know”.<br />
Table 3 Offered answer options and frequency of response to the question:<br />
What constitutes bullying and harassment on social networks (for instance on Facebook)?<br />
Answer options to the question What constitutes bullying and harassment<br />
on social networks (for instance on Facebook)?<br />
Frequency of response<br />
in percentages<br />
a) Websites which identify and shame private persons 67%<br />
b) Photographs which degrade private persons 67%<br />
c) Photographs or video recording of physical bullying published in order to shame the victim 64%<br />
d) Sharing personal data in order to blackmail or harass people 66%<br />
e) Continuous targeting of other people with unwarranted friend requests or messages 38%<br />
f) Other (what)? 5%<br />
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Answer to research goal 2:<br />
Have the students who use social networks ever been a victim of<br />
electronic violence on social networks?<br />
Four participants did not answer the question; the total number of participants was<br />
N=142. 73% of the participants stated that they had never been a victim of electronic<br />
violence on social networks. 17% of participants stated that they had rarely been a victim<br />
of electronic violence on social networks, and six of them stated “sometimes” and<br />
only 3% of participants “often”, while 1% stated they had most often been a victim of<br />
electronic violence on social networks. It is interesting to use comparison with the results<br />
of this research goal which state that only 8% of participants are aware of what<br />
electronic violence constitutes, which then poses the question whether the high percentage<br />
of people who claim they had never been victims of electronic violence is the<br />
consequence of their lack of awareness of what this type of violence actually is. The<br />
participants who stated they had been victims of electronic violence indicated privacy<br />
attacks, spreading violent and offensive comments and sending viruses, photographs<br />
and unwarranted content to e-mail addresses or mobile phones as the most common<br />
forms of this type of violence.<br />
The answer to research goal 3:<br />
Have the students who use social networks ever participated in a form<br />
of electronic violence against a person on social networks?<br />
Six participants did not offer any answers which means that the total number of<br />
participants who offered an answer was N=140. 76% of participants stated they had<br />
never participated in electronic violence against a person on social networks. 12% of<br />
students stated that they rarely participated in electronic violence against a person on<br />
social networks, 6% opted for “sometimes”, while 3% of students chose the “often” and<br />
even “very often” option. It is interesting to notice that a small difference is detectable<br />
in the sense that with the rise in awareness about electronic violence, the frequency of<br />
this kind of violence and participation in it decreased. The participants who stated that<br />
they had participated in electronic violence indicate the following as the most common<br />
forms of violence against others: encouraging group hate, attack on privacy, spreading<br />
violence and offensive comments and false representation.<br />
Answer to research goal 4:<br />
Do students perceive electronic violence<br />
as harmless and/or fun?<br />
4% of participants did not answer the question, while 65% stated they did not consider<br />
electronic violence harmless and fun. 9% opted for the “partly no” answer, and2%<br />
of students agree with the claim that electronic violence is harmless and fun, while 5%<br />
“partly agree”. 15% of the participants of this research do not agree nor disagree with<br />
the notion that electronic violence is harmless and fun.<br />
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T. BabiÊ, S. GrgiÊ: Net Generation and Perception of Electronic Violence<br />
Table 4 Offered answer options and frequency of response to the question:<br />
Do you perceive electronic violence as harmless and fun?<br />
Answer options to question Do you perceive electronic violence<br />
as harmless and fun?<br />
Frequency of response<br />
in percentages<br />
a) No 65%<br />
b) Partly no 9%<br />
c) Neither yes nor no 15%<br />
d) Partly yes 5%<br />
e) Yes 2%<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
The results also show a small increase in the awareness of what electronic violence<br />
means from 4% in 2016 to 11% in <strong>2018</strong>, but only 11 out of 146 students were fully<br />
aware of what the term security on social networks refers to (average 8%). Every fourth<br />
student recognized themself as a victim of electronic violence on social networks. Every<br />
fifth student participated in some kind of electronic violence against another person.<br />
Every tenth student considers electronic violence harmless and fun. We can conclude<br />
that the students are not fully aware of what the term security on social networks<br />
refers to although they are familiar with terms such as cyberbullying. Also, the results<br />
of second research show that over the past two years, students' awareness of electronic<br />
violence has slightly increased but is still at a low level. Learning about responsible<br />
behaviour toward oneself and others is crucial for the future of young people and education<br />
should have a leading role in that process.<br />
References<br />
BiliÊ, V. (2015). NaËini uËenja, online aktivnosti i ishodi odgoja net-generacije (pp. 593-607). In:<br />
Gazdi-Alerid, T. and Rijavec, M. (ed.) Istraæivanje paradigmi djetinjstva, odgoja i obrazovanja.<br />
Zagreb: UËiteljski fakultet.<br />
Castells, M. (2000). Uspon umreæenog druπtva. Informacijsko doba: Ekonomija, druπtvo i kultura.<br />
Svezak I. Zagreb: Golden marketing.<br />
Croatian bureau of statistics (2017). Usage of information and communication technologies (ICT)<br />
in households and by individuals, 2017, first results. Zagreb.<br />
https://www.dzs.hr/Hrv_Eng/publication/2017/02-03-02_01_2017.htm<br />
»aËiÊ, T. (2012). Stranice druπtvenih mreæa i kultura net-generacije. Zagreb: SveuËiliπte u Zagrebu,<br />
Filozofski fakultet, doktorski rad. https://www.academia.edu/1963857/Stranice_<br />
dru%C5%A1tvenih_mre%C5%BEa_i_kultura_net_-_generacije<br />
Kaniæaj, I., Ciboci, L. (2011). Kako je nasilje preko medija uπlo u naπe domove (pp. 11-34). In:<br />
Ciboci, L., Kaniæaj, I., Labaπ, D., Djeca medija — Od marginalizacije do senzacije, Zagreb:<br />
Matica hrvatska.<br />
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Labaπ, D. (2015). Djeca medija — mladi obrazuju mlade (pp. 105-117). In: Medijska pismenost —<br />
preduvjet za odgovorne medije: zbornik radova s 5. regionalne konferencije Vjerodostojnost<br />
medija (ed. Car, V., TurËilo, L., MatoviÊ, M.). Sarajevo: Fakultet politiËkih nauka.<br />
Miliπa, Z. (2006). Manipuliranje potrebama mladih. Zagreb: MarkoM.<br />
Miliπa, Z., ToliÊ, M., Vertovπek, N. (2009). Mediji i mladi — Prevencija ovisnosti o medijskoj<br />
manipulaciji. Zagreb: SveuËiliπna knjiæara.<br />
Nevins, T. (2004). The Effects of Media Violence on Adolescent Health. A research report written<br />
for Physicians for Global Survival. https://pgs.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/<br />
effectsofmediaviolence_final.pdf<br />
Potter, W. J. (1999). On media violence. London, New Delhi: Thousand Oaks, SAGE Publications.<br />
Staksrud, E., Livingstone, S. (2009). Children and online risk: powerless victims or resourceful<br />
participants? (pp. 364-387). London: Information, communication and society, 12 (3).<br />
Tapscott, D. (2008). Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World. New<br />
York: McGraw Hill Professional.<br />
Tapscott, D. (2011). Odrasti digitalno: Kako mreæna generacija mijenja vaπ svijet. Zagreb: Mate<br />
d.o.o. and Æ©EM.<br />
Uldrijan, I. (2011). Zaπto odgajati za medije? Mediji kao “odgojitelji” u doba odgojne krize (pp. 173-<br />
192). In: Labaπ, D. (ed.), Komunikacija i mediji u krizi. Zagreb: Hrvatski studiji.<br />
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Tihana BABI∆, Iva VUNARI∆, Andrej LACKOVI∆<br />
INFORMATION ETHICS<br />
ON SOCIAL NETWORKS:<br />
STUDENTS PERSPECTIVE<br />
MODERN SOCIETY AND MODERN VALUES<br />
The development of modern technologies and their availability in our everyday lives<br />
have created preconditions for social changes with an outreach even in the world of<br />
academia. Social networks, together with classical communication channels, are becoming<br />
an important channel of communication themselves. Although the surrounding<br />
environment of humans is dramatically changing, questions that are concerned with<br />
right and wrong conduct remain relevant. Some of the most problematic areas are concerned<br />
with how students see principles of information ethics while networking, and<br />
this paper is based on the research of their view. Areas that have been identified as the<br />
most problematic areas of information ethics are intellectual freedoms, intellectual<br />
property, equal access to information, censorship and privacy.<br />
In today’s time freedom is one of the fundamental terms expressing a person’s<br />
self-realization. But a question posing itself is whether this freedom could be seen as<br />
absolute and without limitations. Very often one thinks of freedom as the ability to do<br />
what one wants and desires. Therefore, freedom is seen as arbitrary, while setting oneself<br />
free means rejecting any form of structure and commitment. In such vision, moral<br />
becomes the opposite of freedom (»rpiÊ, Mravunac, TanjiÊ, 2009). However, as Koprek<br />
(2009) states, the modern society suffers from many ailments: excessive consumerism,<br />
uncontrolled hedonism, violence, corruption, poverty, every kind of addiction... while<br />
an honorary place on this list could be given to a lack of responsibility. We live in the<br />
times of uncertainty, fragmented culture, a lack of interest, glorification of pleasures<br />
and crises, all of which is a reflection of the disillusion of a myth about unlimited mastery<br />
and exploitation of the world in which we live. We ask: who is responsible for all<br />
of the above? We are aware that today it is difficult to personalize responsibility, which<br />
is becoming more and more vague in both its definition and its content… So what is<br />
responsibility? If we take into account that it is derived from the Latin word “respondere”<br />
(respond in English), additional questions emerge: who has to offer a response,<br />
to whom and for what? There is no freedom without necessity and the necessity of freedom<br />
is morality (Coreth, 1998). Otherwise, in the absence of necessity and morality,<br />
we are condemned to the wrong use or a lack of use of our own freedom and responsibility.<br />
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456<br />
PROBLEMATIC AREAS OF INFORMATION ETHICS<br />
The development of modern technology is advancing so quickly it seems that a reflection<br />
on its social and ethical implications cannot keep up, while it is simultaneously the<br />
cause of reviewing many social and legislative norms. Information ethics covers broader<br />
categories such as ownership, access, privacy, security, community, so consequently<br />
one could state that some of the most prominent problematic areas of information<br />
ethics are areas of intellectual freedoms, equal access to information, censorship, privacy,<br />
intellectual property.<br />
Non-material intellectual property, as defined by the State Intellectual Property Office<br />
(<strong>2018</strong>), which refers to the products of the human mind, has a value in copying,<br />
use and presentation to other people, and it is not purposeful, and sometimes not even<br />
possible, to protect it by hiding it, containing it or applying to it any other measure of<br />
physical protection. Because of its social value, a creative or artistic realization of an<br />
idea as the fruit of human intellect presents under certain conditions intellectual property<br />
of its creator. Intellectual property, although intangible in the physical sense, has<br />
all the property characteristics and in accordance with this it can be bought, sold, licensed,<br />
swapped, given or inherited like any other property. In the business sense it<br />
represents non-material property which is the foundation or the contribution to successful<br />
business operations. In order to protect this kind of property and in this way<br />
support human creativity, which contributes to the general development of society, a<br />
suitable system of legal protection of intellectual property has been developed, and it<br />
covers a number of instruments with which the way of acquiring and protecting intellectual<br />
property from unauthorized use is governed. In accordance with this, unauthorized<br />
use or copying of intellectual property objects presents an infringement of the<br />
owner’s right, which is to manage, use and benefit from such property, and which is<br />
protected by instruments and institutions of the legal system (State Intellectual Property<br />
Office, <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOCIAL NETWORKING<br />
Social networks sites (SNS) are used by hundreds of millions people today. For example,<br />
the number of active users of Facebook as the most widely used social network in<br />
the world was over one billion in 2012, while in <strong>2018</strong> the number of active users has<br />
grown to 2,27 billion (Statista <strong>2018</strong>), making it the first social network to acquire such<br />
a large number of users. Facebook enables its users to select friends, use a wide range<br />
of tools such as posting infinite numbers of photos, searching through e-mail contact<br />
lists, determining availability of their private data, content and posts, communicating<br />
via private messages, by posting on feeds of other users or by means of chat, but very<br />
often Facebook is criticized for its privacy issues, for the issues of censorship, and because<br />
the information users reveal about themselves are used for market research and<br />
for other purposes as well, and these are unknown to the public. Therefore, the re-
T. BabiÊ, I. VunariÊ, A. LackoviÊ: Information Ethics on Social Networks...<br />
search described in this paper was conducted using Facebook as the most popular social<br />
network. The focus is on two dominant principles which are present when Facebook<br />
is used: intellectual freedom in the context of free expression of opinions, attitudes<br />
and values, as well as intellectual properties in the context of citing.<br />
GOALS AND METHODS<br />
The research conducted among the Algebra University College students concerns the<br />
ethical approach of information usage on social networks, meaning an examination of<br />
opinions on intellectual freedoms in the context of free expression of opinions, attitudes<br />
and values, as well as intellectual properties in the context of citing, while, for<br />
example, posting a Facebook status.<br />
The general research objective was to determine whether the Algebra University<br />
College students who use social networks do so in an ethical way regarding production,<br />
collection, dissemination and information usage on social networks. The specific<br />
objective was to examine whether the students considered relevant to respect intellectual<br />
freedom and intellectual property rights.<br />
The research was conducted on 73 members of the Algebra University College student<br />
population in June and July of 2016 through a voluntary survey. The survey was<br />
anonymous and it consisted of 12 questions where the students had to decide on the<br />
level of agreement or importance for specific answers. The data was processed using<br />
the quantitative statistical analysis of isolating previously specified variables in order to<br />
obtain the description of the conditions. The structure of surveyed students is presented<br />
according to the study program, gender, and student status. Majority of the surveyed<br />
students were male and full-time students. Of the total number of students in the survey,<br />
36 studied Applied Computing, 27 were students of Digital Marketing and 10 studied<br />
Multimedia Computing. According to the Gender Structure criteria, 88% of surveyed<br />
students were male and 22% female. According to the Student Status criteria, full-time<br />
students represented 87% and part-time students 23% of the total number of surveyed<br />
students.<br />
RESEARCH RESULTS<br />
Rules of conduct on social networks<br />
One of the questions the students were asked was: Are you familiar with rules of conduct<br />
on social networks (Facebook for instance)? From the Chart 1, it is obvious that<br />
43% of the survey respondents were familiar with the rules of conduct, while 8% of<br />
them were not familiari with them at all.<br />
On the other hand, when answering the question: Do you read the community<br />
regulations i.e. rules of conduct on social networks while creating your profile?, 38% of<br />
the respondents state they mostly do not read the rules of conduct while 29% of them<br />
do not read the rules of conduct on social networks at all (Chart 2).<br />
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Chart 1 Distribution of the answer to the question:<br />
Are you familiar with rules of conduct on social networks<br />
(Facebook for instance)?<br />
What could be concluded from the students' answers to these two questions is that<br />
the respondents either think they are familiar with the rules of conduct on social networks<br />
or they are getting their information from other sources, but not from the rules<br />
of conduct, while creating their profiles.<br />
Intellectual freedom on social networks<br />
The students' answers to the question: Do you consider intellectual freedom important,<br />
that is, do you believe every person has the right to say, think, learn and write about<br />
what they want?, produced results which were not a big surprise. Those who believe<br />
that the right of every person to say, think, learn and write what they want, is either<br />
mostly important or very important, represent 81% of the total number of students in<br />
the survey as is shown on Chart 3.<br />
However, when the following question was asked: Do you consider intellectual<br />
freedom important, that is, do you believe every person has the right to say, think,<br />
learn and write what they want even when it affects the rights of other people?, the<br />
458<br />
Chart 2 Distribution of the answers to the question:<br />
Do you read the community regulations i.e. rules of conduct<br />
on social networks while creating your profile?
T. BabiÊ, I. VunariÊ, A. LackoviÊ: Information Ethics on Social Networks...<br />
Chart 3 Distribution of the answers to the question:<br />
Do you consider intellectual freedom important, that is, do you believe every person<br />
has the right to say, think, learn and write what they want?<br />
Chart 4 Distribution of the answers to the question: Do you consider intellectual freedom important,<br />
that is, do you believe every person has the right to say, think, learn and write about<br />
what they want even when it affects the rights of other people?<br />
students’ opinions were divided. Therefore, only 13% of students think that respecting<br />
intellectual freedom is very important and most of them are not sure whether respecting<br />
intellectual freedom is the right thing to do, or when it affects the rights of others,<br />
Chart 4.<br />
The rules of citation on social networks<br />
Regarding the rules of citation, 53% of students think that it is very important to follow<br />
citation rules if the information is used in the context of their study program and these<br />
results were not a big surprise. Distribution of the answer to the question: Do you think<br />
it is important to follow citation rules (citing the right author, publisher and the year of<br />
publishing) while collecting and publishing information related to the study program?<br />
is shown on Chart 5.<br />
However, only 22% of them think it is very important to follow citation rules while<br />
publishing information on social networks, Chart 6. Through an analysis of the responses<br />
to the question: Do you think it is important to follow citation rules (stating the right<br />
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Chart 5 Distribution of the answers to the question: Do you think it is important to follow citation rules<br />
(citing the right author, publisher and the year of publishing) while collecting and<br />
publishing information related to the study programme?<br />
Chart 6 Distribution of the answers to the question: Do you think it is important to follow citation rules<br />
(stating the right author, publisher and the year of publishing) while collecting and<br />
publishing information on social networks?<br />
author, publisher and the year of publishing) while collecting and publishing information<br />
on social networks?, a significant discrepancy is seen in relation to the previous<br />
answer when it comes to the question of citation of information related to the study<br />
program, where 53% of the respondents thought it was very important.<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
The results of the research did not show a discrepancy in relation to the study program,<br />
gender and the status of the students. However, a discrepancy was seen in the answers<br />
given to the selected questions. The students’ answers regarding the rules of conduct<br />
on social networks did not correspond to the answers which showed that more than<br />
half of them did not read the rules of conduct while creating a social network profile.<br />
Also, thanks to the research, it can be seen that almost half of the students considered<br />
the right of every person to say, think and write whatever they want very important.<br />
However, only one fifth of students believed they had this right even if it<br />
meant affecting the rights of other people.<br />
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T. BabiÊ, I. VunariÊ, A. LackoviÊ: Information Ethics on Social Networks...<br />
In addition, more than half of the students considered very important to follow citation<br />
rules during collection and publishing of the information related to the study program,<br />
while every fifth student considered it irrelevant if the information was related to<br />
social networks. The inconsistency and the discrepancies in the students’ answers confirm<br />
the need to educate students in a way of increasing the responsibility while using<br />
and sharing information on Facebook. It also sheds light on the possibilities of further<br />
research.<br />
Considering that, the objective of further research can be to verify whether the students<br />
truly know the rules of conduct on social networks and to examine why they<br />
consider following citation rules on social networks less important. In addition, it<br />
would also be advisable to conduct a research on other aspects of information ethics,<br />
such as equal access to information, censorship and privacy, as well as to determine<br />
whether there is a difference between what the students consider right and how they<br />
actually behave.<br />
References<br />
Coreth, E. (1998). Smisao Ëovjekove slobode (pp. 391-402). In: Obnovljeni æivot: Ëasopis za<br />
filozofiju i religijske znanosti, 53 (4). http://hrcak.srce.hr/1536<br />
»rpiÊ, G., Mravunac, D., TanjiÊ, Æ. (2009). Supsidijarnost — πirenje prostora slobode u druπtvu (pp.<br />
91-111). Bogoslovna smotra, 79 (1).<br />
Dræavni zavod za intelektualno vlasniπtvo (<strong>2018</strong>). O intelektualnom vlasniπtvu. http://www.dziv.hr/<br />
hr/intelektualno-vlasnistvo/o-intelektualnom-vlasnistvu/<br />
Hauptman, R. (1988). Ethical Challenges in Librarianship. Phoenix: AZ: Oryx Press.<br />
IFLA (1999). Izjava IFLA-e: Knjiænice i intelektualna sloboda. Hrvatsko bibliotekarsko druπtvo,<br />
translation: BarbariÊ, A. http://dzs.ffzg.unizg.hr/text/kiis.htm<br />
Koprek, I. (2009). EtiËki vidici Ëovjekove odgovornosti (pp. 149-159). In: Obnovljeni æivot: Ëasopis<br />
za filozofiju i religijske znanosti, 64 (2). http://hrcak.srce.hr/37267<br />
Statista (<strong>2018</strong>). Number of monthly active Facebook users worldwide as of 3rd quarter <strong>2018</strong> (in<br />
millions). https://www.statista.com/statistics/264810/number-of-monthly-active-facebook-usersworldwide/<br />
461
Nikolina BOR»I∆, Sanda MARJANOVI∆, Mara PEKEZ<br />
GERMAN MEDIA NARRATIVES ABOUT<br />
CROATIA AND CROATIAN TOURISM<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
According to the <strong>2018</strong> data, there are 198 recognised states in the world today 1 . They<br />
are all different in regards to their political, ideological, sociological, historical and other<br />
characteristics, and each state tries to position itself in a way that it appears better<br />
and more varied than the others. States and nations have an identity and an image, and<br />
regardless of whether this image was created by chance or whether it was planned, it<br />
affects the reputation of the nation and state both inside and outside its frames. There<br />
are different ways in which a nation can position itself, for example the quality and appearance<br />
of its products. This is why there are the syntagms such as “German car”,<br />
“Swiss watch”, “Belgian chocolate”, “Italian design” and “French elegance”. The sports<br />
results of a nation also play an important role in its positioning in the world, and they<br />
can in a way be viewed as a state's and nation's product. If the results are significant<br />
and on an international level, while informing about them, the media also implicitly<br />
convey information about the state and nation itself. “People do not actively seek, but<br />
rather passively take in, information about other countries” (White, 2012, p. 110, Lee,<br />
2009). In this way, the positive and/or negative impressions about a nation are through<br />
these results transferred onto other topics in the area of image and nation branding<br />
(Fan, 2006).<br />
This paper consists of three parts. The first, theoretical part, comprises short explanations<br />
of the basic terminology connected to media narratives. The central and<br />
main part of the paper offers a more detailed description of the research, starting with<br />
a methodological explanation and leading to the presentation and discussion about the<br />
research results. The paper ends with a conclusion containing a generalised view of<br />
the analysis results and guidance for further research.<br />
2. THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK<br />
2.1. Media narratives and creating reality<br />
In present day the media are an active factor in the creation of social, political, economical,<br />
cultural and every other reality. According to HromadæiÊ (2013, pp. 63-64), the<br />
media play the key role in transferring knowledge and information, and the term “me-<br />
1 The data can be accessed on the following website: https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/<br />
how-many-countries-are-there-world-<strong>2018</strong> (15 November <strong>2018</strong>)<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
dia discourse” is an integral part of viewing social and similar phenomena. The term<br />
discourse is in this sense understood in accordance with the explanation of the French<br />
sociologist, philosopher and historian Michel Foucault (1973, p. 173), who claims that<br />
discourse is everything that can be said about a topic in a specific period in history,<br />
that is, the context. In this way, a discourse contains social attitudes and these attitudes<br />
are communicated through the dominant narratives.<br />
Furthermore, media narratives about foreign countries can be regarded as political<br />
communication, even if the topic is sports or tourism, but they are always set in the<br />
context of relationships between the two countries with the intention of either supporting<br />
or criticising, as shown in the background. A narratively structured form is defined<br />
within the frames of the narrative theory as a sequence of causally related events which<br />
occur in a specific time and space (Bordwell and Thompson, 1990: 55). A narrative is<br />
commonly defined in different ways, as “a story with a beginning, middle and end that<br />
reveals someone’s experiences” (Manning and Cullum-Swan, 1998); “an original state<br />
of affairs, an action, or an event, and the consequent state of events” (Czarniawska,<br />
1998), “any form of communication” (Barthes, 1966), or “the main mode of human<br />
knowledge” (Bruner, 1986).<br />
Specific narratives of a nation are construed as important components of broader<br />
discourses of national identity. Discourses of national identity are a part of news stories.<br />
The news found on Internet portals provide factual information about football results,<br />
but also stories about some specifics built on opinion-based reporting (Fulton,<br />
2006). According to Lule (2001, pp. 18), “news stories offer sacred societal narratives<br />
with shared values and beliefs, with lessons and themes, and with exemplary models<br />
that instruct and inform.” He differentiates between seven master myths on which the<br />
narratives in the news stories are based, and they are: the victim, the scapegoat, the<br />
hero, the good mother, the trickster, the other world and the flood.<br />
2.2. Image, reputation and state and nation branding<br />
According to Ying Fan (2006; 2008), state and nation branding is based on empowering<br />
its image and reputation. In this way, the state and nation is positioned more effectively<br />
than other states and nations and becomes more competitive in various global<br />
processes. The identity, image and reputation of a nation and state are, therefore, a<br />
platform for branding. “A brand is more than just a name; it is a complex bundle of images,<br />
meanings, associations and experiences in the mind of people” (Fan, 2006, p. 3).<br />
If we transfer the idea of a brand on the idea of a state and nation, the way in which<br />
various channels and contents communicate identity and image affects how a state and<br />
nation is perceived as a brand in the eyes of the observer. Identity and image are directly<br />
linked with geographical situation, history, as well as political, economic and other<br />
characteristics (Anholt, 2007). The term “state and nation branding” includes an enormous<br />
number of stakeholders and, therefore, it can neither be fully managed nor is it<br />
sufficient to apply only the usual branding strategies (NovËiÊ, 2015).<br />
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N. BorËiÊ, S. MarjanoviÊ, M. Pekez: German Media narratives about Croatia...<br />
According to Anholt (2008), the key characteristic of an image is that it is absolutely<br />
manageable and that its creation can be influenced by various external factors,<br />
whereas associations and values appear as a result of media informing, but based on<br />
direct and indirect experience. Therefore, the objective of a media-produced text is to<br />
give arguments with the aim of informing the public and suggesting a perception about<br />
an event or about the protagonists of an event.<br />
In recent times, a nation's image and branding is viewed from the so-called “reverse<br />
perspective” (White, 2012), inside which the emphasis is on the analysis of how<br />
a product affects the reputation and image of a state. Should we consider the above<br />
said in the context of this paper, we can say that the paper discusses the idea of the<br />
connection between the state and nation's narrative and the information on the football<br />
results, which are in this case a kind of a product of this state and nation. Since<br />
such an approach requires an analysis of the public's perception, this paper focuses<br />
primarily on German Internet portals, and consequently the German public. Furthermore,<br />
it is especially interesting to see whether the information on Croatian tourism is<br />
also communicated, since it is the German public's dominant association to Croatia. Statistics<br />
show that Croatia is the sixth most visited destination by a number of German<br />
holidaymakers 2 .<br />
3. THE RESEARCH<br />
3.1. Research sample and the analysis method<br />
The Federal Republic of Germany has the official statistics on the number of visits from<br />
the individual electronic news extension portals, regularly quoted on Das Statistik-Portal<br />
and https://meedia.de 3 websites. The idea was to select two of the most visited daily<br />
portals and two weekly portals. The period of time which the analysis covers is the<br />
<strong>2018</strong> FIFA World Cup, and the texts published by, at the latest, seven days after the final<br />
match were also considered. The survey included articles published in the German<br />
media on the four most visited online news portals, as follows: Bild.de, Spiegel Online,<br />
Focus Online, Welt Online, in the period from 14 June to 22 July <strong>2018</strong>.<br />
The survey unit was one press release (article, travel report, column).<br />
The qualitative analysis of the content and the analysis of the narrative was based<br />
on Jack Lule's master myth theory. After reading all articles that included any reference<br />
to Croatia and the <strong>2018</strong> World Cup, we made a selection of 81 articles from a wider<br />
database, the content of which featured additional reference to Croatia as a country.<br />
The samples were taken as follows: Bild.de (37), Focus Online (17), Spiegel Online<br />
(14) and Welt online (13).<br />
2 Available at http://www.tourismusanalyse.de/zahlen/daten/statistik/tourismus-urlaub-reisen/<br />
<strong>2018</strong>/reiseziele-<strong>2018</strong>/ (12 October <strong>2018</strong>)<br />
3 Meedia. Available at: https://meedia.de/<strong>2018</strong>/09/10/die-ivw-news-top-50-fuer-den-august-topangebote-verlieren-visits-focus-online-faellt-auf-22-monats-tief/<br />
(12 October <strong>2018</strong>)<br />
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The content of the foregoing articles was analysed according to the following variables:<br />
the journal in which the article was published, the title of the article, its topic,<br />
its positive, negative or neutral tone, the dominant narratives in the texts referring to<br />
the country and/or its people, and arguments about Croatia in the light of it being a<br />
potential tourist destination.<br />
3.2. The research aim and questions<br />
The primary aim of the paper is to find out how a country's product, such as sports results,<br />
influences the creation of its image and reputation, that is, which narratives about<br />
a state and a nation are dominant in the published texts. The question is how significant<br />
Croatia is for the German public as a tourist destination. We assumed that the texts<br />
concerning the sports results will also contain information about Croatian tourism.<br />
Therefore, the article's second aim is to find whether the texts actually contain any narratives<br />
about Croatian tourism and in which way the narratives about the state and the<br />
nation are connected with the narratives about tourism. The analysis further identifies<br />
which master myths are the base of the dominant narratives.<br />
Our analysis was structured so as to answer the following questions:<br />
1. What arguments and master myths are the narratives about Croatia based on?<br />
2. Is there a correlation between the narratives about the Croatian football and<br />
Croatian tourism in the German media?<br />
3. Do dominant arguments suggest that the German tourist should visit Croatia?<br />
3.3. Findings and Disscuison<br />
Led by Luka ModriÊ and Ivan RakitiÊ, the Croatians came to the final game in the <strong>2018</strong><br />
World Cup. They presented their country in the best possible light and sparked an interest<br />
in Croatia as a country. Football and Croatia were two topics covered all over the<br />
world at the time. The analysis includes media texts during that period which were<br />
published on the four most visited online portals of two daily and two weekly German<br />
media newspaper extensions. In the analysed period, the dominant narratives featured<br />
Croatia as a miracle. All articles had a positive tone regarding the football results and<br />
Croatia as a country. Alongside the positive image of Croatia and Croatians, there was<br />
one topic which was predominantly negative, and that was the topic of right-wing nationalism.<br />
There were nine media releases in total which contained the narrative about<br />
right-wing nationalism and they were based on the archetype of the Other World.<br />
The narratives analysed in daily newspaper extensions of bild.de and welt.de can<br />
be classified into the following three groups: (1) Croatia as a miracle, as a dignified loser,<br />
a role model to everyone, a country to be learned from; (2) a president who steals<br />
the show, (3) faith as the coach’s key trait, but also as an important part of identity, as<br />
well as football and (4) the choice of music as a sign of equalising patriotism and nationalism.<br />
Furthermore, the narratives about Croatia and Croatians as a miracle are<br />
dominated by the hero master myth, such as in (1) and (2).<br />
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(1) The football country of miracles — Croatia! The population of only 4.2 million<br />
in this Balkan state — approximately as much as the Rheinland-Pfalz Province<br />
(bild.de, 12/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(GER) Fußball-Wunderland Kroatien! Nur 4,2 Millionen Einwohner hat der Balkan-<br />
Staat — etwa so viel wie das Bundesland Rheinland-Pfalz. (bild.de, 12.07.<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
(2) Just as this small country carved out its path to the finals, it appeared so strong<br />
in the moment of its defeat (bild.de, 15/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(GER) So hart und verbissen sich das kleine Land bis ins Endspiel kämpfte, so stark<br />
hat es sie sich im Moment der Niederlage verhalten. (bild.de, 15.07.<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
There is talk of obstacles, such as in (3), pointing to the fact that nothing is impossible<br />
if there is a true will, which gives the narratives about successful and determined<br />
Croats a fairy-tale-like characteristic, all of which is supported by the life stories<br />
of some of the players.<br />
(3) There is no organised talent management in Croatia and Croatian football is<br />
tainted with corruption affairs. Despite all this, the national team managed to reach<br />
the finals for the first time. And all this was made possible by a player who fled<br />
the war when he was a child (welt.de, 12/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(GER) Kroatien hat keine gezielte Talentförderung, der Fußball steckt in einer Korruptionsaffäre.<br />
Trotzdem steht die Mannschaft erstmals im WM-Finale. Ermöglicht<br />
hat das einer, der als Kind vor dem Krieg floh. (welt.de, 12.07.<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
Besides the narratives about the state and the character of the nation, the texts also<br />
emphasise the narratives about two people, President Kolinda Grabar KitaroviÊ and<br />
the national team’s coach Zlatko DaliÊ. The coach's narrative describes his composure<br />
and faith as the foundation of the entire team's strength, such as seen in (4), (5) and<br />
(6), with the hero master myth in the background.<br />
(4) And thanks to their faith, Zlatko Dalic (51) carries a rosary in his trouser pocket.<br />
“When I notice it will get difficult, I put my hand in my pocket and hold it tight.<br />
All of a sudden, everything seems easier (bild, 13/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(GER) Auch dank ihres Glaubens! Zlatko Dalic (51) trägt in seiner Hosentasche einen<br />
Rosenkranz. Der Trainer (seit Oktober 2017 im Amt): “Wenn ich merke, dass<br />
es schwierig wird, stecke ich meine Hand in die Tasche und halte mich daran fest.<br />
Dann empfinde ich auf einmal alles leichter.” (bild, 13.07.<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
(5) The Croats have a special secret when it comes to victory. It can be found in<br />
coach Zlatko DaliÊ's pocket (bild.de, 14/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(GER) Die Kroaten haben ein ganz besonderes Sieg-Geheimnis. Es liegt in der Hosentasche<br />
von Trainer Zlatko Dalic. (bild.de, 14/07/<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
(6) There is a reason behind the mental strength of Croatian coach Zlatko DaliÊ<br />
— when the going gets tough, he secretly holds onto the rosary in his pocket<br />
(welt.de,12/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
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(GER) Die mentale Stärke des kroatischen Trainers Zlatko Dalic hat einen Grund:<br />
Wenn es eng wird, berührt er heimlich den Rosenkranz in seiner Tasche.<br />
(welt.de,12/07/<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
These narratives emphasise faith as an important factor in Croatian identity, such<br />
as in (7).<br />
(7) In Croatia the national team and the state are even more connected than in<br />
other countries. The general truth is: they are fighting for us. After the national<br />
team reached the finals, football became a part of Croatian identity, just like Catholicism<br />
(welt.de, 12/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(GER) In Kroatien werden die Mannschaft und Land noch stärker zusammen gedacht<br />
als in anderen Ländern. Allgemein gilt: „Die kämpfen für uns.“ Mit dem Finaleinzug<br />
gehört der Fußball nun ebenso zur kroatischen Nationalidentität wie der<br />
Katholizismus. (welt.de, 12.07.<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
The narratives concerning the president, as in (8), (9) and (10), the emphasised<br />
archetype is that of the good mother, but also of the trickster who attracts attention to<br />
herself while communicating powerful emotions.<br />
(8) Kolinda was brilliant, she rejoiced with the winners — she just kept kissing<br />
and hugging every single person (bild.de, 15/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(GER) Kolinda strahlte, Kolinda freute sich mit den Siegern — und Kolinda knutschte<br />
einfach alles und jeden ab. (bild.de, 15/07/<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
(9) The Croatian president, Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic became the most popular<br />
person in the country due to her supporting at the matches (welt.de, 12/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(GER) Vor allem die kroatische Präsidentin Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic machte sich<br />
mit ihrem Jubel im Land beliebt. (welt.de, 12/07/<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
(10) The Croatian president, Kolinda Grabar KitaroviÊ, embraced and consoled the<br />
captain (welt.de, 24/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(GER) Die kroatische Prsidentin Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic nimmt ihn in den Arm<br />
und tröstet den Kapitän. (welt.de, 24/07/<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
Along with the narratives that carry a positive image about the nation and the<br />
country, the choice of the main singer for the national welcome for the players carries<br />
the narrative of right-wing nationalism, which was, according to the analysed media<br />
embodied in this singer, Marko PerkoviÊ, who was presented through the archetype of<br />
the hero antipode, such as in (11).<br />
(11) Marko PerkoviÊ celebrates fascism; his band is named after a firearm. Upon<br />
returning home, the World Cup heroes invited him to join them on the bus which<br />
toured them through Zagreb (welt.de, 17/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(GER) Marko Perkovic verherrlicht den Faschismus, seine Band ist nach einer Maschinenpistole<br />
benannt. Bei der Rückkehr in die Heimat holten ihn Kroatiens WM-<br />
Helden zu sich in den offenen Bus, der durch Zagreb fuhr. (welt.de, 17/07/<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
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In the analysed texts there were also references to some unusual facts, such as that<br />
the team brought their own hairdresser to Russia three times and that RebiÊ paid the<br />
loans of all the people in his home town, as well as the explanation why Croatians<br />
wear water polo caps to football matches. During the analysed period, we found three<br />
texts posted online which were centred on the topic of tourism. The dominant narratives<br />
were: Croatia as a country of pleasure and happiness, as in (12).<br />
(12) The land of one thousand islands and the most passionate football. Croatia<br />
will make you happy! (bild.de, 12/07/<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
(GER) (12) Land der 1000 Inseln und der feurigsten Fußballe. Kroatien macht<br />
glücklich! (bild.de, 12/07/<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
The analysed texts posted on the Spiegel portal and Focus online gave prominence<br />
to Croatia as a miracle, to victories of the Croatian national team as in (13), (14),<br />
especially to the way in which the country dealt with the loss, describing the final<br />
match through the narrative of “a rich uncle set against a poor nephew”, as in (15).<br />
(13) “The only other time we were united like this was during the war”. Croatia is<br />
drunk on this enhanced national pride. (FOCUS ONLINE, 16/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(GER) “So vereint sind wir sonst nur im Krieg”: Kroatien berauscht sich am erstarkten<br />
Nationalstolz (FOCUS ONLINE, 16/07/<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
(14) The successful Croatian national team represents Croatia, equal to the best<br />
nations in the world (FOCUS ONLINE, 16/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(GER) Die erfolgreiche kroatische Nationalmannschaft repräsentiert bei der WM ein<br />
Kroatien, das mit den besten Nationen der Welt ebenbürtig ist. (FOCUS ONLINE,<br />
16/07/<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
(15) The match between France and Croatia was like a game of a “rich uncle”<br />
against a “poor nephew”, as many people on the Adriatic coast see it. No matter<br />
how much economic training France has had, it is nothing in comparison to Croatia.<br />
(Spiegel online, 16/07/<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
(GER) Das Spiel Frankreich gegen Kroatien war auch ein Spiel “reicher Onkel” gegen<br />
“armen Neffen”, so sehen das viele an der Adriaküste. Mag Frankreich noch<br />
so viele wirtschaftliche Probleme haben; sie sind nichts gegen die kroatischen.<br />
(Spiegel online, 16/07/<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
They also pinpointed the war experiences of some football players, depicting<br />
them as examples of people who made it in life despite the hardships they had to go<br />
through, as in (16).<br />
(16) When Luka ModriÊ was at the beginning of his football career during the war<br />
in the Balkans, he lived in a demolished hotel. His grandfather had been killed.<br />
Dejan Lovren’s uncle was stabbed to death. Now they have a chance to become<br />
world champions for their country. (Focus, 09/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(GER) Als Luka Modric mitten im Balkankrieg mit dem Fußball anfing, wohnte er<br />
in einem zerbombten Hotel. Sein Großvater wurde umgebracht. Der Onkel von<br />
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Dejan Lovren wurde erstochen. Jetzt haben sie die Chance, mit ihrem Land Weltmeister<br />
zu werden. (Focus, 09/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Apart from the positive articles, there were also texts explaining that the Croatian<br />
identity was primarily built on the experiences of the Second World War, and also stating<br />
the choice of music, as in (17) and (18).<br />
(17) However, the fact that the controversial song “Za Dom”, performed by the<br />
right wing band Thompson, was sung even in the players' changing rooms, who<br />
play for various European clubs, also shows that nationalism is still deeply rooted<br />
in Croatian society (Focus, 14/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(GER) Doch dass der umstrittene “Za Dom” Song der rechtsnahen Band Thompson<br />
selbst in der Mannschaftskabine der Nationalmannschaft gesungen wird, von<br />
Spielern, die für Vereine in ganz Europa spielen, zeigt eben auch, dass Nationalismus<br />
in Kroatien noch tief verwurzelt ist. (Focus, 14/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(18) Croatia is in the World Cup finals, but that surprising football success, due to<br />
which the entire country is flooded with euphoria, also evokes danger — since it<br />
revives old nationalism (Spiegel online, 15/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(GER) Kroatien steht im WM-Endspiel, und dieser überraschende Fußballerfolg euphorisiert<br />
das Land. Doch er birgt auch Gefahren — weil er den alten Nationalismus<br />
belebt. (Spiegel online, 15/07/<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
The analysed texts also reveal the narrative about the Croatian president, suggesting<br />
that she “stole the show”, based on the master myth of a good mother and a trickster,<br />
as in (19) and (20).<br />
(19) The president was hugging and patting the most important politicians and the<br />
players, who were on this Sunday in Moscow almost entirely drenched with rain,<br />
and she even kissed the World Cup trophy itself (Focus online, 18/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(GER) Das Staatsoberhaupt hatte am Sonntag in Moskau zum Teil völlig durchnässt<br />
Spitzenpolitiker und Spieler umarmt und getätschelt und sogar den WM-Pokal<br />
geküsst. (Focus online, 18/07/<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
(20) An expert on Croatia said the following: President Grabar KitaroviÊ “stole” the<br />
World Cup success (FOCUS, 18/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(GER) Kroatien-Experte: Präsidentin Grabar-Kitarovic hat WM-Erfolg “gestohlen”<br />
(FOCUS, 18/07/<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
The Focus portal pinpointed the same narratives in their texts, and in addition to<br />
the texts glorifying the Croatian victories, they also posted the texts which criticised the<br />
right-wing nationalistic aspirations. Such articles mostly relied on the opinion of some<br />
Croatian experts, Æarko Puhovski in particular. The portal also posted an interview with<br />
Mr. Puhovski, which had an overwhelmingly negative narrative about nationalism in<br />
Croatia, and which is based on the master myth of the Other World, as in (21).<br />
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(21) “It is all quite normal, as with other nations”, says Æarko Puhovski, professor<br />
of political philosophy at the University of Zagreb. What is not normal and, sadly,<br />
typical of Croatia, is the right-wing nationalist interpretation of patriotism" (Focus<br />
online, 16/07/<strong>2018</strong>).<br />
(GER) “Das alles ist normal, das ist auch in anderen Nationen so”, sagt Zarko Puhovski,<br />
Professor für politische Philosophie an der Universität Zagreb. "Was nicht<br />
normal ist und leider spezifisch für Kroatien, ist die rechtsnationalistische Interpretation<br />
des Patriotismus." (Focus online, 16/07/<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
The texts about the response to the loss in the final match had a largely positive<br />
tone with dominant narratives about losers who behave like winners and with narratives<br />
about a nation united. Spiegel.de was the only portal whose text had a reference<br />
to the Croatian island of Vis because of the film Mamma Mia 2, while Focus online had<br />
no references to tourism and Croatia as a tourist destination.<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
Croatia entered the <strong>2018</strong> World Cup finals led by Luka ModriÊ and Ivan RakitiÊ, thus<br />
presented itself in the best possible light, which in the end created a true football sensation.<br />
Football and Croatia were topics discussed all over the world in those days. The<br />
analysis covered media texts about Croatian football in that period, as published by<br />
four of the most visited German online portals of two daily and two weekly newspapers.<br />
The goal was to investigate the dominant narratives in the German media in the<br />
designated period. Since Croatian economy could more or less only count on its ever<br />
growing tourism, we hoped that the framing process of positioning this tourist nation<br />
next to football will also be inspired by the sea and the sun. Although one would have<br />
expected narratives concerning tourism, the analysis showed that there were almost no<br />
such texts present. Nevertheless, Croatia was presented exceptionally positively, with<br />
the dominant narrative about miracles and heroes. The dominant master myths at the<br />
bases of narratives were the hero, the good mother and the Other World. It can be assumed<br />
that the above mentioned study might evoke additional motivation to visit Croatia.<br />
If for no other reason, then to witness the country whose president “steals the<br />
show”.<br />
References<br />
Anholt, S. (2007). Competitive identity: The new brand management for nations, cities and regions.<br />
New York: Palgrave Macmillan.<br />
Anholt, S. (2008). From nation branding to competitive identity — The role of brand management<br />
as a component of national policy. In K. Dinnie (Ed.), Nation branding: concepts, issues,<br />
practice (pp. 22-23). Oxford, UK: Butterworth-Heinemann.<br />
Barthes, R. (1966). Introduction To The Structural Analysis Of Narratives. In R. Barthes (1977),<br />
Image, Music, Text. London: Fontana.<br />
Bordwell, D. & Thompson, K. (1990). Film Art: An Introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill.<br />
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Bruner, J. (1986) Actual Minds, Possible Worlds. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.<br />
Czarniawska, B. (1998) A Narrative Approach to Organization Studies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage<br />
University Paper.<br />
Foucault, M. (1973/2013). Archäologie des Wissens. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag AG.<br />
Fan, Y. (2006). “Banding the nation: what is being branded?”, Journal of Vacation Marketing, 12(1),<br />
pp. 5-14.<br />
Fan, Y. (2008), Soft power: the power of attraction or confusion, Place Branding and Public<br />
Diplomacy, 4:2, 147-158.<br />
Fulton, H. (ed.) (2005) Narrative And Media, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.<br />
Lule J. (2001). Daily News, Eternal Stories: The Mythological Role of Journalism. New York: The<br />
Guilford Press.<br />
HromadæiÊ H. (2013) Politika, druπtvo spektakla i medijska konstrukcija realnosti. PolitiËka misao,<br />
50 (2) br. 2, pp. 60-74.<br />
Lee, K. M, (2009). Nation branding and sustainable competitiveness of nations. (Doktorska<br />
disertacija), University of Twente. Available at: http://doc.utwente.nl/60754/1/<br />
thesis_K_M_Lee.pdf.<br />
Manning, P.K. & Cullum-Swan, B. (1998). Narrative, content, and semiotic analysis. In N.K. Denzin<br />
& Y.S. Lincoln (Eds.), Collecting and interpreting qualitative materials: Dealing with empirical<br />
material and interpretations (pp. 246-273). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.<br />
White C. (2012). “Brands and national image: An exploration of inverse country-of-origin effect”,<br />
Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 8(2), pp. 110-118.<br />
472
Claude CELLICH<br />
CONDITIONS FOR<br />
GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS<br />
In the past decades, the world trade has increased faster than any other economic activity.<br />
Today the sum of exports and imports worldwide is greater than 50% of the total<br />
global production, but this growth has not been uniform across the globe. Some<br />
countries have achieved higher levels of success than other countries. And success does<br />
not only imply a high GDP, trade surplus or wealth, but also elements like economic<br />
stability, investment in R&D, an access to an educated workforce, open business environment,<br />
etc. There are several indices available today that list the rankings of countries<br />
based on specific parameters, where some countries seem to outperform others in<br />
most of these rankings. Why are some countries able to do so? What makes them so<br />
successful overall?<br />
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY<br />
In order to answer the questions above, first it is required to identify the top performers<br />
of the world. Seven indices were selected to include the widest spectrum of parameters.<br />
The focus of this chapter targets the top 20 world economies. The following indices<br />
were included:<br />
— Global Competitive Index: published by the World Economic Forum, it assesses<br />
the competitiveness landscape of 138 economies.<br />
— The Global Enabling Trade Index: this index is co-published by the World Economic<br />
Forum and the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation. It evaluates 138 economies<br />
based on their ability to facilitate the flow of goods in international trade.<br />
— IMD World Competitiveness Index: this is one of the most prominent annual<br />
reports on the level of competitiveness of 63 leading economies.<br />
— IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking: this ranking consists of 63 countries<br />
and takes into consideration a country’s knowledge needed to understand and introduce<br />
new technologies, the tools required to develop digital technology and the<br />
ability to exploit digital transformation.<br />
— Ease of Doing Business: published by the World Bank Group it denotes if the<br />
regulatory environment is more or less favorable for the starting and operating of a local<br />
firm in 190 countries, and includes dealing with construction permits, registering<br />
property and accessing electricity.<br />
— IMD World Talent Ranking. this ranking considers countries’ ability to attract<br />
talent, have superior education at all levels and provide excellent opportunities for career<br />
advancement of a person.<br />
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— The Global Innovation Index. this ranking is published by the World Intellectual<br />
Property Organization with Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business<br />
and INSEAD measures the innovative performance of 127 economies concerned with<br />
the role of innovation as a driver of growth in human capital & research, market sophistication,<br />
knowledge and technology/creative outputs.<br />
The top 20 countries from each of these indices were selected based on the latest<br />
available data. The rankings are only indicative of the status of the countries. In view<br />
of the rapid changes taking place in the world economy, it is possible that today’s rankings<br />
for some countries no longer reflect their level of competitiveness and related business<br />
performance. For example, according to the <strong>2018</strong> IMD World Competitiveness<br />
ranking, the USA moved from 4th to 1st while Switzerland dropped from 2nd to 5th.<br />
The country chapters explain these movements in detail. Of all the countries listed in<br />
Table 1, only six of them are ranked in all the indexes (Denmark, Germany, Hong<br />
Kong, Norway, Singapore and Sweden). Five other countries, namely Australia, Finland,<br />
Netherlands Switzerland and the USA are ranked in 6 indexes. A number of countries<br />
have high rankings in some indexes and lower in others due to difficulties in hiring<br />
foreign workers, facing complex tariff structures and restricted market access<br />
among others.<br />
It is clear that there are common practices adopted by all countries that have contributed<br />
to their success. Seven key factors were selected as described below:<br />
PROMOTING PRO-BUSINESS POLICIES<br />
The first would be the critical role of the government in maintaining an open economy,<br />
promoting pro-business policies and creating a business environment conducive to<br />
economic growth. Economic stability and long-term outlook are key indices for potential<br />
investors. This calls for stable governments, relatively stable currencies and regulations<br />
that consider changes in the global economy and adapt accordingly. For instance,<br />
a Chinese entrepreneur, planning to do business in the US, decided to change his plans<br />
due to the threat of a 25% tariff on his products. The entrepreneur said “We need predictable,<br />
stable policies, without certainty, nothing can happen”. (The New York Times,<br />
July 14-15, <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
INVESTING IN LIFELONG LEARNING<br />
All top-ranked countries devote substantial amounts of expenditures in education (both<br />
second and tertiary). In fact, education becomes a lifelong learning experience due to<br />
digital technology advances. In addition, informal learning reflecting the needs of individuals<br />
and their working environment is increasing in importance as the world is moving<br />
towards a knowledge-based economy. Apprenticeship is another area for the<br />
young generation entering the labor market to acquire the technical skills needed in<br />
business. Due to globalization and the digital revolution, the demand for traditional<br />
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C. Cellich: Conditions for Global Competitiveness<br />
skills is decreasing, while at the same time the need for new skills will expand exponentially.<br />
Moreover, the quality of the education system, including the Internet access,<br />
the availability of specialized training and in-company skills upgrading contribute to<br />
higher performance. Finally, cooperation between universities, research institutions and<br />
industry are a key to innovation.<br />
INTEGRATING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) IN<br />
BUSINESS FUNCTIONS<br />
In the near future, artificial intelligence will transform the way business operates. For<br />
instance, the rise of virtual communication, access to detailed up-to-date information<br />
and technological innovation, among others, have disrupted the business environment<br />
while opening new opportunities for those firms investing and integrating AI in their<br />
business systems. Most of the top ranked competitive countries have benefited from AI<br />
by transforming and upgrading their business models. The World Digital Competitiveness<br />
Index shows a strong correlation with the World/Global Competitiveness and Talent<br />
Indexes, and illustrates the link between them. In other words, being competitive<br />
requires enterprises adopting AI in their business operations.<br />
INCREASING EFFICIENCY OF<br />
DOING BUSINESS<br />
With the concept of an “enterprise” given much prominence, these economies have<br />
moved from concentration on traditional products to more technology-oriented and<br />
service-oriented products, with a greater focus on the private sector. This shows a shift<br />
from the regular government policymaking processes to a highly business-oriented one<br />
with increased efficiency and thus better results. A major condition to competitiveness<br />
is the development of new business practices that include shortening the internationalizing<br />
process and lowering the cost of doing business through sophisticated business<br />
models, capability to respond rapidly to market changes, and improve forward and<br />
backward linkages. Today, being competitive in global markets requires companies to<br />
develop a total competitiveness response capacity.<br />
DEVELOPING MODERN<br />
INFRASTRUCTURES<br />
Another important aspect is the practice of an effective bureaucracy. Lesser levels of<br />
corruption help better implementation of government policies and this leads to an improved<br />
utilization of the resources, be it natural, human capital or financial. This is possible<br />
due to a stable government. Transportation, banking and finance, telecom and the<br />
Internet are among the strongest sectors in the top ranked countries and this has<br />
helped them to remain competitive in the global economy. Countries not ranked in the<br />
top 20 are improving and should not be overlooked. For example, China was ranked<br />
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48th in 2013 and is now ranked 40th. At the same time, some countries are losing their<br />
rankings. Consequently, not only should the latest rankings be taken into consideration,<br />
but also determined whether the trend over the past years is positive or negative.<br />
In addition to the rankings, it is essential to consult the individual chapters of target<br />
countries to determine their attractiveness for either investments, exporting, a joint venture<br />
or whatever the business objective is.<br />
476<br />
TRANSFORMING<br />
TRADITIONAL FUNCTIONS<br />
Finally, the integration of global supply chains in the economies has contributed to the<br />
overall performance of the ranked countries. Transport logistics and inventory management<br />
benefit from new software systems by increasing productivity and lowering costs.<br />
Equally important is the rising value of intangibles in global trade where several countries<br />
have taken the lead in developing new hi-tech industries and providing high value<br />
services.<br />
All the top-performing countries have also realized the importance of sustainable<br />
growth and are continuously moving towards a more environmentally friendly way of<br />
life while transforming their economies. Finding alternative sources of energy, reducing<br />
air pollution and health care are some of the sectors of prominence contributing to<br />
their success in the global economy. Finally, so is integrating digital technologies in every<br />
aspect of our lives, including business models, management practices and education.<br />
MAINTAINING HIGH PRODUCTIVITY<br />
All the top ranked countries have low unemployment rates and enterprises enjoy stable<br />
relations between the management and the employees as well as with labor unions<br />
contributing to fewer work stoppages. Generally, employees in these economies have<br />
a high morale and level of productivity. Labor laws are being revised, allowing flexibility<br />
in hiring and firing employees. Moreover, the social services provided in these<br />
countries like minimum wages, health care and pensions, among others, are all of high<br />
quality and these have led to an overall economic stability and a high level of productivity.<br />
Of all the key factors the top performing economies have in common, high productivity<br />
is probably the most significant one. Despite high costs of living and high wages,<br />
these countries manage to compete successfully in global markets due to the productivity<br />
of their labor force. This is mainly the result of a country’s pro-business policies,<br />
benefitting from efficient government services, accessing a qualified workforce<br />
and modern infrastructure, as well as adopting digital technologies.
C. Cellich: Conditions for Global Competitiveness<br />
Table 1 Top 20 countries under each index<br />
Ranking<br />
World Economic<br />
Forum Global<br />
Competitiveness<br />
World Economic<br />
Forum Global<br />
Enabling trade<br />
IMD World<br />
Competitiveness<br />
IMD World<br />
Digital<br />
Competitiveness<br />
World Bank<br />
Group Ease of<br />
Doing Business<br />
IMD Talent<br />
Ranking<br />
WIPO Global<br />
Innovation<br />
1 Switzerland Singapore USA USA New Zealand Switzerland Switzerland<br />
2 USA Netherlands Hong Kong, Singapore Singapore Denmark Netherlands<br />
China<br />
3 Singapore Hong Kong, Singapore Sweden Denmark Belgium Sweden<br />
China<br />
4 Netherlands Luxembourg Netherlands Denmark Hong Kong, Austria United<br />
China<br />
Kingdom<br />
5 Germany Sweden Switzerland Switzerland Korea, Rep. Finland Singapore<br />
6 Hong Kong, Finland Denmark Norway Norway Netherlands USA<br />
China<br />
7 Sweden Austria UAE Finland United Norway Finland<br />
Kingdom<br />
8 UK United Norway Canada USA Germany Denmark<br />
Kingdom<br />
9 Japan Germany Sweden Netherlands Sweden Sweden Germany<br />
10 Finland Belgium Canada UK Macedonia Luxembourg Ireland<br />
11 Norway Switzerland Luxembourg Hong Kong, Taiwan, Canada Israel<br />
China<br />
12 Denmark Denmark Ireland Israel Estonia Hong Kong, Korea, Rep.<br />
China<br />
13 New Zealand France China Australia Finland Singapore Japan<br />
14 Canada Estonia Qatar Korea, Rep. Latvia Ireland Hong Kong,<br />
China<br />
15 Taiwan Spain Germany Austria Australia New Zealand Luxembourg<br />
16 Israel Japan Finland Taiwan Georgia USA France<br />
17 UAE Norway Taiwan UAE Germany Cyprus China<br />
18 Australia New Zealand Austria Germany Ireland Iceland Canada<br />
19 Luxembourg Iceland Australia New Zealand Austria Australia Norway<br />
20 Belgium Ireland UK Ireland Iceland Israel Australia<br />
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Table 2 Parameters used under each index<br />
Global Competitive Index: This index is composed of the following pillars:<br />
Institutions Higher Education and Training Technological readiness<br />
Infrastructure Goods Market Efficiency Market Size<br />
Macroeconomic Environment Labor Market Efficiency Business Sophistication<br />
Health and Primary Education<br />
Market Access<br />
Border Administration<br />
Financial market development<br />
The Global Enabling Trade Index: The parameters considered under this index are:<br />
Economic Performance<br />
Business Efficiency<br />
Infrastructure<br />
Operating Environment<br />
IMD Competitive Index: The main criteria looked at are:<br />
Government Efficiency<br />
Infrastructure<br />
IMD Digital Competitiveness Ranking. This ranking measures a country’s ability to adapt and exploit<br />
digital technologies, leading to the transformation of government services and business models and<br />
society in general by taking into account the following indicators:<br />
Knowledge Technology Future Readiness<br />
IMD World Talent Ranking. This ranking assets the extent to which countries develop,<br />
attract and retain talent by taking into account the following factors:<br />
Investment and development Appeal of the country The availability of skills and<br />
of home-grown talent to attract foreign talent competencies in the talent pool<br />
Ease of Doing Business Index: This index takes into consideration the following indicators:<br />
Getting electricity Getting credit Trading across borders Resolving insolvency<br />
Registering property and Protecting Investors Enforcing contracts Paying taxes<br />
dealing with construction permit<br />
Global innovation Index covers:<br />
Institutions Infrastructure Business Sophistication<br />
Human capital and research Market sophistication Knowledge and technology outputs<br />
Creative outputs<br />
References<br />
The Global Competitiveness Report 2017—<strong>2018</strong>. World Economic Forum, www.weforum.org/<br />
reports/the-global-competitiveness-report-2017-<strong>2018</strong>.pdf<br />
The Global Enabling Trade Report 2016. World Economic Forum, http://reports.weforum.org/<br />
global-enabling-trade-report-2016/enabling-trade-rankings/?doing_wp_cron=<br />
1542115827.8339018821716308593750<br />
The <strong>2018</strong> IMD World Competitiveness Ranking https://www.imd.org/wcc/<br />
world-competitiveness-center-rankings/world-competitiveness-ranking-<strong>2018</strong>/<br />
The IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking. https://www.imd.org/wcc/<br />
world-competitiveness-center-rankings/world-digital-competitiveness-rankings-<strong>2018</strong>/<br />
The 2017 IMD World Talent Ranking https://www.imd.org/wcc/<br />
world-competitiveness-center-publications/talent-ranking--talent-flow/<br />
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C. Cellich: Conditions for Global Competitiveness<br />
Doing Business <strong>2018</strong>: Reforming to Create Jobs, World Bank Group<br />
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/803361509607947633/Doing-Business-<strong>2018</strong>-<br />
Reforming-to-Create-Jobs<br />
The Global Innovation Index: Energizing the World with Innovation.<br />
www.globalinnovationindex.org.<br />
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Alexandre CHIKALANOV, Mariyana LYUBENOVA, Simona PETEVA,<br />
Yulian PETKOV, Iliana TODOROVA<br />
COST EFFECTIVENESS ASSESSMENT<br />
OF FOREST ECOSYSTEM SERVICES FOR<br />
WATER BODIES PROTECTION<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
Forest ecosystems with their great biodiversity, ecological footprint on the environment<br />
and material footprint on the economy are source of diverse ecosystem benefits/services<br />
(FES) for the society: provisional, supporting, regulating, social and cultural (Nasi<br />
et al. 2002, Sing et al. 2015, Mori et al. 2016, Assenov et al. 2016, etc.). According to<br />
USEPA 1 the FES are divided into groups, as: ecological (mainly regulative and supporting<br />
functions of forests); economic (mainly material); sociocultural (forest as a home of<br />
millions of people, strong cultural and spiritual attachments to the forests by people),<br />
also ss (a set of services highlights ideas of aesthetics and beauty for residents, within<br />
which ecotourism operates, etc.). It should be said that the classification of ecosystem<br />
services does not need to be completely unified, because the consideration of individual<br />
elements often depends on the geographic area and the purposes of assessment.<br />
Not all providing benefits from forests are implemented as services. The services are<br />
those benefits that are used by people and for which people pay.<br />
Currently, many publications discuss FES, their mapping, exploitation, valuation,<br />
monitoring, modeling and management (Burkhard et al. 2009, 2012; Maes et al. 2012,<br />
Muller and Burkhard, 2012, Ninan et al. 2013, Lyubenova et al. 2015ab, 2017; Chikalanov<br />
et al. 2016, etc.). FES are in the focus of international, intergovernmental, governmental<br />
organizations and platforms (USEPA, EEA 2 , MAES 3 , JRC 4 , WPFES 5 , IPBES 6 and<br />
1 United State Environmental Protection Agency, US EPA, https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa<br />
2 European Environmental Agency, EEA https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/biodiversity/<br />
where-we-stand/ecosystem-services-in-the-eu/ecosystem-services-in-the-eu<br />
3 Maes, J., Teller, A., Erhard, M. et al. 2013. Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their<br />
Services. An analytical framework for ecosystem assessments under action 5 of the EU biodiversity<br />
strategy to 2020. 1 st MAES report. Publications office of the European Union, Luxembourg.<br />
4 Joint Research Centre, JRC, European Commission, http://forest.jrc.ec.europa.eu/activities/forest-ecosystem-services/<br />
5 Web Portal on Forest Ecosystem Services, http://foresteurope.org/ecosystem-services/<br />
http://www.fao.org/docrep/w7714e/w7714e05.htm#2.1%20categories%20of%20services!<br />
6 Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services,<br />
IPBES https://www.ipbes.net/work-programme<br />
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others). The multifunctional importance of FES provokes permanent interest and very<br />
often conflicts among stakeholders from different social groups — scientists, environmentalists,<br />
business representatives, politicians, managers and owners. The conflicts<br />
arise between the relative importance of services compared to other factors, such as<br />
production values. So, in all countries the institutions and organizations are authorized<br />
to manage forest resources regionally and to outline the main services that will be consumed<br />
in priority according to the existing legislation and the interests of society.<br />
Despite the ongoing discussions, efforts and legislative constraints, forests continue<br />
to be subjected to anthropogenic pressure, reduction of occupation in their areas,<br />
decrease in their biodiversity, health status and global decline. The ecological importance<br />
of these ecosystems and the reduction of their buffer functions is a prerequisite<br />
for strengthening of unfavorable trends in climate change. A Sustainable Development<br />
Strategy (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005) is essential to overcome the adverse<br />
consequences of the development of science and technology and increasing the needs<br />
of growing population on the Earth. The strategy requires estimating the costs of ecosystem<br />
services, paying for these services, and returning the part of the cash flow for<br />
consumed resources restoration. So nowadays the development of schemes for ecosystem<br />
services payment is quite an important issue.<br />
The comparison between various FES is extremely difficult due to the absence of<br />
a universally accepted common metric. However, economists have tried to measure<br />
various services using economic value that requires strong assumptions. It should be<br />
stressed that estimates of the economic value of FES do provide comparative importance<br />
of services, especially timber production to non-timber forest products. First, Costanza<br />
et al. (1997) estimate the economic value of various services of forests at the global<br />
level. Today, many authors work on the economic valuation of FES and payment<br />
schemes (de Groot et al. 2012, Farley 2012, Christie and Rayment 2012, Muradian and<br />
Rival, 2012 and others).<br />
It is important to mention the current trends in the exploitation of forest resources<br />
and their payment. So far, the interests in the provisional benefits of forests is predominant.<br />
However, with the development of innovations and new technologies enabling<br />
the substitution of natural with synthetic materials, recycling of waste, the widespread<br />
use of waste from the wood industry to produce furniture and other goods will<br />
gradually lead to the predominance of non-provisional FES importance in the near future.<br />
For example, FES for the maintenance of quantity and quality of surface water<br />
(Fig. 1) in climate change conditions and against the diffuse pollution from agriculture,<br />
landfills, industry, urbanization, etc. are currently discussed. In other words, the use of<br />
natural forest ecosystems and forested areas for the surface water purification and for<br />
the melioration purposes is quite important in today's reality (Payments for Ecosystem<br />
Services). Environmental and economic feasibility of these activities requires appropriate<br />
environmental and economic analyzes, developing of appropriate schemes for provided<br />
FES payment (PES schemes) and cost effectiveness analyze. Considering the<br />
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A. Chikalanov, M. Lybenova, S. Peteva, Y. Petkov, I. Todorova: Cost Effectiveness...<br />
complex influence of forest ecosystems on water resources (Fig 1), it is assumed that<br />
the PES schemes of forest for water will be different and case-specific. It is therefore<br />
possible, the algorithm for the cost effectiveness calculation also to require changes for<br />
different services. Different authors have worked on the nature and peculiarities of different<br />
types of PES schemes (Wunder 2005, Muradian et al. 2010, Rowcroft et al. 2011,<br />
Porras et al. 2012, Schomers & Matzdorf 2013, Thompson et al. 2014 and others) as well<br />
as on water services schemes for payment (Porras et al. 2012, Martin-Ortega et al. 2013<br />
and others). The basis of all the PES schemes created and considered lies with the calculation<br />
of costs and taking into account the effectiveness of the activities carried out<br />
in order to achieve the intended objective(s) (Pagiola 2005 and others). According to<br />
the World Health organization the Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER), cost-effectiveness<br />
computation in medicine, is defined as:<br />
(1) ICER = (C 1 - C 0 )<br />
(E 1 - E 0 )<br />
where C 1 and E 1 are the cost and effect after application of new treatment and C 0 and<br />
E 0 are the cost and effect in the control care group (Polinder et al. 2011).<br />
The main aim of the present study is to select appropriate indicators and develop<br />
a theoretically grounded algorithm for the cost-effectiveness of FES for surface waters<br />
purification from diffuse pollution of agriculture lands.<br />
Figure 1 Complex hydrological services of forest ecosystem<br />
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METHODS<br />
The main requirements for the indicator selection are as follows. The indicators for<br />
cost-effectiveness (CE) assessment and financial evaluation should fulfill the following<br />
conditions: 1) To be with available data for long period of time; 2) To have available<br />
scales, or thresholds for indicators values; 3) to be acceptable by the (European) legislation;<br />
4) to present clearly the assessment to the customers, so they are ready to pay<br />
for the service improved water quantity and quality; 5) To present clearly the assessment<br />
to the stakeholders, so they easily assess activities for water; 6) To be complex<br />
in their meaning. By the chosen indicator, many other specific indicators for evaluated<br />
service will be evaluated. So, in this way, the simplification of assessments and PES<br />
schemes can be achieved. Macro-biological systems as forest ecosystems are very complex<br />
with complicated structure (great number of elements, components and relations)<br />
and magnificent footprint on the environment and economy. Therefore, the assessment<br />
is difficult and often the real results and real picture of all running processes are not<br />
obtained. The only one way to model them or their changes is by the complex indicators<br />
and key species. The chosen complex indicators for water quantity from the elements<br />
of water balance (Table 2) are the runoff coefficient and infiltration.<br />
Table 1 Elements of the water balance in a given territory (Subotin & Digalo 1982).<br />
Water balance elements<br />
Water balance, mm<br />
Forest Water<br />
Field water<br />
Type of Water Catchment catchment catchment<br />
Water reserves in snow and rainfalls 168 140<br />
Surface runoff 23 98<br />
Infiltration 145 42<br />
Recovery of soil moisture deficiency 19 3<br />
Soil evaporation 9 29<br />
Supply of groundwater 117 10<br />
Cumulative runoff 140 108<br />
The calculation of the surface runoff coefficient is by the formula:<br />
(2) C = R P<br />
where: R is the volume of the runoff in mm; P — the quantity of rainfall in mm<br />
(https://www.slideshare.net/shubhamdixit24/rainfall-runoff-analysis-81844361).<br />
The economic evaluation of forest service for infiltration that lead to the water<br />
supplies increasing of water to underground water reserves, was done by Bogdanov<br />
(2002).<br />
(3) R B = r.∆c r<br />
E n<br />
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A. Chikalanov, M. Lybenova, S. Peteva, Y. Petkov, I. Todorova: Cost Effectiveness...<br />
where: ∆cr is the growth of infiltration to underground water caused by forest; r — the<br />
cost for m 3 water; E n — norm of bringing (capitalization of the service by the time).<br />
Many factors and other indicators (such as relief — altitude, elevation and exposition,<br />
precipitation, soil type, other climatic elements) influence on the runoff coefficient<br />
and infiltration. So, the chosen indicators reflect all elements of water balance that<br />
allow their usage as complex indicators. For the chosen indicators, there are local data<br />
from water monitoring. According to the scaled data, the coefficients can be categorized<br />
as low, normal, raised and high. So, the proposed run-off coefficient and infiltration<br />
are appropriate for assessment of water quantity.<br />
The indicators for the water quality should reflect mainly the following forest services:<br />
purification of surface water from fertilizers and pesticides; protection from sedimentation<br />
and the sanitary quality of water. The quantity of nitrates, phosphates and<br />
pesticides used by farmers are measured in t.ha -1 .y -1 , but in water — in mg.l -1 . The sedimentation<br />
reserves in water are measured in t.ha -1 .y -1 , but the unresolved substances<br />
in water — in mg.l -1 . For the pointed main forest services for water quality, the complex<br />
indicator — water category of quality — was also selected. According to the Water<br />
Directive and the European legislation, there are three categories of water: A1, A2<br />
and A3 and 46 indicators for water quality assessment. For each indicator, there are intervals<br />
of values and thresholds concerning different categories presented in table 2.<br />
The selected indicators, five in number, are: Undesolved substances (mg.l -1 ) — relates<br />
with the sedimentation; Nitrates, Phosphates and Pesticides (mg.l -1 ) related to the<br />
water pollution from farming and the level of forest purification and Biological oxygen<br />
demand (indicated for dissolved organic matter in mg.l -1 ) or Coliforms 37°C — total<br />
(the existing pathogens in n.l -1 ) as indicators for sanitary quality.<br />
Table 2 Example for water quality indicators and their thresholds (Water Framework Directive)<br />
Category A1 Category A2 Category A3<br />
Recom- Recom- Recommended<br />
Required mended Required mended Required<br />
Indicator Unit value value value value value value<br />
Undesolved<br />
mg/l<br />
substances HB 25<br />
Nitrates (**)<br />
Phosphates (**) (1)<br />
mg/l<br />
NO 3 25 50 (*) 50 (*) 50 (*)<br />
mg/l<br />
P 2 O 5 0,4 0,7 0,7<br />
Pesticides<br />
— in general mg/l 0,001 0,0025 0,005<br />
Biological oxygen<br />
demand, BOD5 for<br />
20°C, without mg/l<br />
nitrification (**) O2
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Coliforms 37°C /100<br />
— total (**) ml 50 5000 50 000<br />
(*) In case of unusual weather or specific geographical conditions under Art. 9, para. 1, item 2.<br />
(**) See Art. 9, para. 1, item 4.<br />
(1) Parameter included according to ecological criteria.<br />
A1 — category of waters of excellent quality (Ordinance No. 12/2002 to the Water Act)<br />
A2 — category of good quality water<br />
A3 — category of poor quality water, risk of deterioration and other water sources.<br />
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION<br />
A fundamental concept related with PES schemas is the concept of cost effectiveness.<br />
To present and analyze the cost-effectiveness assessment approaches, six definitions<br />
are introduced.<br />
Definition 1: The set of costs is denoted as C = {c i : i = 1…N} where c i are all possible<br />
costs types as Opportunity costs, Construction costs, Management costs, Depreciation<br />
and amortization etc.<br />
Definition 2: The measurement of costs is defined as a function µ c : C Æ R + ,<br />
where R + is the set of positive real numbers and µ c is additive function.<br />
(4) µ c :(c i w c j ) = µ c :(c i ) + µ c :(c j ),<br />
where w is a sum of expenses and + is a numerical sum.<br />
Each concrete cost in a PES scheme is considered as a sum of costs types measurements.<br />
where each c ij cost is a specific cost type.<br />
Each set of concretely chosen costs types can be considered as elements of a<br />
C N i à C and = C Ni ={c ij : j = 1, N i }.<br />
(5) , where<br />
Definition 3: The set of Indicators is denoted as I = {i k : k = 1…M}, where is one<br />
of possible indicators types for Phosphates, Nitrates, Sediments, Pesticides, etc.<br />
Definition 4: The measurement of indicators is defined as a function µ I : I Æ U,<br />
where U Ã R + , and U is mg.l -1 . The is additive function, which means that:<br />
(6) µ I (i k w i l ) = µ I (i k ) + µ I (i l ),<br />
where w is a sum of indicators and + is a sum of values of their measured mg.l -1 .<br />
The measurements of indicators are considered as continuous process within a<br />
certain time interval or a series of time intervals. For each time interval and for each<br />
indicator a set of measurements will be captured, where each measurement sequence<br />
has to be a subject of at least two of the following procedures — the outliers’ removal<br />
and error filtering, which are outside of the scope of this publication.<br />
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Definition 5: Suppose there are N required levels for water quality for an arbitrary<br />
indicator i j . The required value for the highest category is R 1 , the next one is R 2 , and<br />
the lowest one is R N ,<br />
R 1 < R 2 < … < R N the effectiveness E is defined, as follows:<br />
(7)<br />
Main characteristics of E(x) are:<br />
a. Contiguous in the whole domain interval. The smallest change in a measurement<br />
will lead to change in functional value.<br />
b. Decreasing in the domain interval. This property reflects the requirement that<br />
higher measured indicator value leads to lower effectiveness.<br />
c. Linear in the interval [R 1 , R N ] and fractionally rational in the rest of domain interval.<br />
d. lim xÆ• E(x) = 0 and lim xÆ0 E(x) = •. It can be assumed that practically the value<br />
of x varies in finite non-zero bounds.<br />
e. If an indicator has sequence of threshold values R 1 < R 2 < … < R N , then<br />
Eij (R K ) = N-K+1. This property indicates that the function has integer values<br />
when the measured value of the indicator matches one of the threshold values.<br />
We will consider each concrete effectiveness’ sum as a sum of separate effectivenesses.<br />
 M i<br />
l=1 E (µ I (i kl ))where each is a specific indicator.<br />
Each set of concretely chosen indicators can be considered as elements of a I M k<br />
à I and I Mk = {i kl : 1 = 1, ... M k } ; g M k : =  M k<br />
l=1 E (µ I (i kl )) where I Mk = {i kl : 1 = 1, ... M k }<br />
Definition 6: A water has a quality level l Œ Q, where Q is the set of all possible<br />
water quality levels, according to the set of chosen indicators I Mk = {i kl : 1 = 1, ... M k },<br />
if ∀ i kl Œ I Mk E(i kl ) ≥ ÁQÁ-1+1, where ÁQÁ is the cardinality of Q.<br />
The definition states that to qualify a water for a certain quality level, all selected<br />
indicators must match that quality level. As every indicator may have a different role<br />
for water quality, the formula (6) can be modified as follows:<br />
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g M k : = Â M k<br />
l=1 w l<br />
E (µ I (i kl )) where I Mk = {i kl : 1 = 1, ... M k } and w l<br />
are weights fulfilling<br />
the condition  M k<br />
l=1 w l<br />
= M.<br />
The approaches for computation of cost-effectiveness ratio can be considered by<br />
the defined formulas for costs and for the effectiveness next.<br />
The proposed rational cost-effectiveness ratio (RCEF) for cost-effectiveness calculation<br />
is presented in formula 8.<br />
(8) RCER =<br />
where C 1 , C 0 are alternative and basic costs, and E 1 , E 0 — are alternative and basic<br />
effectiveness.<br />
Main issue of RCER is that it loses the meaning for following cases C 0 = 0, E 0 = 0,<br />
and<br />
For the formulas (1) and (8) a capitalization approach may be applied when they<br />
are used for a specific time period. In such cases, the formulas will be modified as follows:<br />
(9) ICER* = ____ ICER<br />
(10) RCER* = RCER ____<br />
E n<br />
,<br />
where E n — norm of bringing (capitalization of the service by the time).<br />
The ICER formula has the following disadvantages. If E 1 = E 0 , the ICER loses its<br />
sense, because this division is not defined. If C 0 = C 1 , and E 1 = E 0 then ICER = 0/0.<br />
Currency issue. As the costs are calculated in local currency, we can end up with<br />
different values for the same cost/effectiveness.<br />
Scale issue. If costs are in hundreds (or thousands) of local currency and effectiveness<br />
is in partials of one, the changes in costs and effectiveness will be incomparable.<br />
Additionally, we can present two examples where ICER losses its sense.<br />
Example 1: Assume that C 0 = 10, C 1 = 9, E 1 = 11 and E 0 = 10, then ICER = -1. Now<br />
let C 0 = 10, C 1 = 11, E 1 = 9 and E 0 = 10, then ICER = -1 again. Therefore, we cannot<br />
distinguish the both cases.<br />
Example 2: Assume now that C 0 = 10, C 1 = 11, so the dividend is 1. Let E 1 > E 0 .<br />
Increasing the value of E 1 , the value of will decrease which is a good case. But if E 1 <<br />
E 0 , the negative value for ICER will bring, which is less than any positive number and<br />
formally we have better ICER for worse effectiveness.<br />
RCER fixes the existing problems arising by using ICER.<br />
The recommended algorithm for cost-effectiveness estimation for PES schemas is<br />
presented below.<br />
Step 1: Selection of all possible costs related with selected PES schema.<br />
Step 2: Selection of all indicator and their measurements relevant to that scheme.<br />
Step 3: Selection of a time period for measurements.<br />
C 1 __<br />
C 0<br />
E1<br />
__<br />
E0<br />
E n<br />
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Step 4: Conduction of continuous measurements, applying the outlier’s removal<br />
and filtering to the measured data.<br />
Step 5: Selection of a single value for each one of selected indicators. It may be<br />
average, weighted average, or obtained by any other algorithm.<br />
Step 6: Assessments of cost-effectiveness applying one of formulas.<br />
Step 7: Repetition of steps 4-6 for the next period.<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
The algorithm for cost effectiveness computation focused on forest ecosystem services<br />
for water bodies’ protection has been developed. The effectiveness is closely related to<br />
basic activities as measurement, decision-making and PES schemes creation. For measurement<br />
of expenses and effectiveness, the complex indicators and their metrics for<br />
water quantity and quality as run-off coefficient, infiltration and category of water are<br />
presented.<br />
The formal descriptions of costs and water quality indicators and their measurement<br />
mappings have been developed. Additionally, a new original formula for effectiveness<br />
of PES schemas for water purification is proposed. Therefore, the comparison<br />
between measurements of costs and effectiveness is eligible. Some issues related with<br />
traditional incremental cost-effectiveness ratio have been presented. The proposed new<br />
rational formula for cost-effectiveness assessments (RCER) fixes the raised issues. The<br />
conducted detailed comparison between approaches is illustrated by a web application.<br />
Acknowledgements: The algorithm for computing cost-effectiveness of PES schemas is one of<br />
the main objectives of COST action CA15206 and DCOST 1/30/20.12.2017 “Development of a<br />
scheme for assessment of forest ecosystem services, efficiency of their provision through the<br />
creation of poles for the purpose of purification and protection of waters and other natural<br />
components in the regions” funded by the Research Fund, Bulgaria.<br />
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practice: An alternative conceptual framework for understanding payments for environmental<br />
services. Ecological Economics, 69(6), 1202-1208.<br />
Nasi, R., Wunder S., Campos J. (2002). Forest Ecosystem Services: Can they Pay our Way out of<br />
Deforestation?. Forestry Roundtable, UNFF II, Costa Rica, 32 p. https://www.cifor.org/library/<br />
1199/forest-ecosystem-services-can-they-pay-our-way-out-of-deforestation/<br />
Ninan, K., Inoue M. (2013). Valuing forest ecosystem services: What we know and what we don't.<br />
Ecological Economics, vol. 93, 137-149. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/<br />
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A. Chikalanov, M. Lybenova, S. Peteva, Y. Petkov, I. Todorova: Cost Effectiveness...<br />
Ordinance Nº12, Bulgarian Water Low (2002).<br />
Pagiola, S. (2005). Assessing the Efficiency of Payments for Environmental Services Programs: a<br />
Framework for Analysis. World Bank, Washington D.C.<br />
Polinder S., Toet H., Martien Panneman M. and Ed van Beeck (Eds) (2011). Methodological<br />
Approaches for Cost — Effectiveness and Cost-utility Analysis of Injury Prevention Measures.<br />
World Health Organization.<br />
Porras, I., Dengel, J., and Aylward, B. (2012). Monitoring and evaluation of Payment for Watershed<br />
Service Schemes in developing countries. Paper presented at 14 th Annual BioEcon Conference<br />
on “Resource Economics, Biodiversity Conservation and Development”. 18-20 September<br />
2012, Kings College, Cambridge. Available from http://www.bioecon-network.org/pages/<br />
14th_2012/Porras.pdf<br />
Rowcroft, P., Smith, S., Clarke, L., Thomson, K. and Reed, M. (2011). Barriers and Opportunities to<br />
the Use of Payments for Ecosystem Services, published by URS/ScottWilson for DEFRA on<br />
behalf of Macaulay Land Use Research and James Hutton Institute, London, October.<br />
Sing, L., Ray D., Watts K. (2015). Ecosystem services and forest management. Forestry Commission,<br />
CROWN COPYRIGHT, 10. ISBN: 978-0-85538-929-1 https://www.forestry.gov.uk/PDF/<br />
FCRN020.pdf/$FILE/FCRN020.pdf<br />
Subotin AI, VS Dygalo (1982). Long-term characteristics of the hydrometeorological regime in the<br />
suburbs: Observing materials of the Podmoskovsky water balance station. Part 1, 2, Moscow:<br />
Izd. Gosgidrometta of the USSR, Part 1. 158 pp and 2-162 pp.<br />
Tacconi, L. (2012). Redefining payments for environmental services. Ecological Economics. 73 (1):<br />
29-36. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2011.09.028<br />
Thompson, K. S. Kerle, K. Waylen, J. Martin-Ortega (2014). Water-Based Payment for Ecosystem<br />
Services (PES) Schemes in Scotland.<br />
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Paper, (42). Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia.<br />
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Lidija FI©TREK<br />
THE IMAGES OF TEXT<br />
— JOZO KLJAKOVI∆<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
In this paper, I attempted to present the way in which visuality functions within a literary<br />
work. The primary focus is placed on the aspect of the imagery of text, on the<br />
example of the literary work of Jozo KljakoviÊ. The display of images within a text as<br />
an effect of the reception and overall impression of the text by the reader is under the<br />
iconic and media experience of the author. In a literary text, the reader takes over the<br />
role of the viewer only in the example of mental images which are formed in the reader’s<br />
mind. Images within a literary text can be perceived and imagined in a number of<br />
ways. Likewise, they can be written into a text using a narrative strategy or via association.<br />
In his work Slike u tekstu [Images in a Text] (2013), Kreπimir Purgar writes about<br />
the relationship between the author and the text and of the way the reader enters the<br />
space of the text and in this way continuously switches from their reality into the reality<br />
within the text. By such transfer from one reality to another, both realities become<br />
active at the same time. Interpreting works of art using a literary text is related to the<br />
issues of the image and the widespread hypothesis of the turn towards the image. The<br />
dialogue between the reader and the viewer happens in iconic registries, which Purgar<br />
(Purgar, 2013, 288) divides through:<br />
1. explicit visual associations which invoke mental images in the reader,<br />
2. a clearly expressed strategy of linking intermedial experiences,<br />
3. pointing to dramatic consequences of the society of spectacle.<br />
I would like to emphasize that in this paper I will focus on the iconic registry of<br />
the explicit visual associations which invoke mental images in the reader. In KljakoviÊ’s<br />
work, the images within the text are almost artistic forms and media that, in this<br />
case, encourage the reader to watch. For the discourse analysis of KljakoviÊ’s piece “U<br />
suvremenom kaosu” [In a Contemporary Chaos], I used theories applied by the leading<br />
experts in the field of visual media and culture, as well as the analytical approaches<br />
by Kreπimir Purgar. The book “U suvremenom kaosu” is interesting in the context<br />
of the author’s presentation related to the autobiographical part in which he also describes<br />
the island of Vis during the Second World War and the resistance movement.<br />
The geostrategic significance of the island of Vis has been known for a long time, even<br />
since antiquity. Using images in the text of Jozo KljakoviÊ, the reader finds a space for<br />
an analysis based on the explication of visual content.<br />
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2. VISUAL READING OF A LITERARY WORK<br />
The main characteristic of the image turn is that it is not imposed as a superordinate<br />
theoretical concept to an imagined totality of culture and it does not take the centre<br />
stage in any renowned discipline in the humanities that deals with images and visual<br />
phenomena in the wider sense (Purgar, 2013).<br />
The function of the images can be viewed taking into account multiple factors that<br />
may be figurative and symbolic, artistic and entertaining. Regardless of their different<br />
functions, all these factors substitute the presentation of a non-present object using representation.<br />
Gottfried Boehm uses the term iconic turn when speaking of the return<br />
to images. For Boehm, all the issues within philosophy become language issues, i.e.<br />
questions of the linguistic structuring of the imagery. Boehm claims that the world of<br />
concepts cannot be detached from its metaphorical, i.e. rhetorical basis. He recognizes<br />
the actual basis for the turn towards the image in Ludwig Wittgenstein’s and Friedrich<br />
Nietzsche’s discussions on language (Purgar, 2013, 57). By studying the iconic dimension<br />
of literary texts, American scholar W. J. T. Mitchell presents a hypothesis on<br />
the pictorial turn, which opens some basic questions on the relationship between a literary<br />
text and the modern visual media. Mitchell talks of the permeation of the image<br />
paradigm into literary studies, where the techniques of communication are exclusively<br />
linked by the image, i.e. the image paradigm influences the ways in which we create<br />
and read written texts.<br />
Mitchell says: “The visual art iconology invites us to pay special attention to the<br />
presence of visual, spatial and pictorial motifs in all literary texts: architecture as a metaphor<br />
of literary forms; painting, film and theatre as metaphors of literary representation...”<br />
(Mitchell, cited in Purgar 2013, 62). Words and images intertwine much more<br />
than their mother media and in such way, they become the object of interest in the intermedial<br />
approach to art works and culture. When discussing mental images, we have<br />
to mention the reciprocity principle which states that the verbal component is an essential<br />
part of picturesque descriptions and that the texts themselves evoke a special<br />
type of images called mental images. Mitchell’s literary iconology is founded on the reciprocity<br />
principle. Words and images present a new field of research which forms a<br />
separate discipline from art history and that builds upon text science, literary history<br />
and linguistics. Words deconstruct the image in order to be reconstructed in a mental<br />
image. When talking about literary iconology, I am referring to the issue covered by<br />
the images that exist in language or that are shaped by language. Mental and verbal<br />
images are invisible and it is difficult to call them images. Kreπimir Purgar defines an<br />
image as a reflection, a similarity and a copy, while describing a mental image with<br />
words such as: dreams, memories, ideas and phantasms. A verbal image would be described<br />
with metaphors and descriptions. It is precisely by using mental images that we<br />
are able to analyse KljakoviÊ’s literary work that encompasses memories and ideas. Jozo<br />
KljakoviÊ uses words that deconstruct the image and in a way become co-responsible<br />
for the image’s meaning.<br />
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L. Fiπtrek: The Images of Text — Jozo KljakoviÊ<br />
3. TEXT IN AN IMAGE<br />
It is precisely the relation between the text and the reader that creates the model of a<br />
reader who is created together with the text and has as much freedom as the text is<br />
willing to allow it. The author, the reader and the text share the same fate through the<br />
act of reading. The text adjusts the reader to itself, while the reader has the freedom to<br />
re-interpret the meaning of the text over and over again, and by doing so to reconstruct<br />
the network of its references. The themes and motifs from the past are repeated<br />
and modified from one work to another. The text should be understood as a passage,<br />
not as a co-existence of meaning, because “the belief in the originality of a text is an<br />
illusion, since it is always constructed from the elements of a past and by itself it presents<br />
a type of a baton towards a future text” (Barthes, 2004). Such text does not owe<br />
its origin to an author from the past, according to Barthes.<br />
“The intertextual is present in each text because it is only an inter-text of some<br />
other text and should not be confused with the origin of a text” (Barthes, 2004).<br />
But what happens to the images within a text? In a way, words become co-responsible<br />
for the image’s meaning, in this case for the creation of mental images. By using<br />
words, we ourselves create meaning and inscribe it into objects and phenomena. Images<br />
that are created in language are different from the meaning of images in a generic<br />
sense. Mental images that are created by reading a text are connected to the author’s<br />
memory and the reader’s ability of visualization. While reading a literary text, we must<br />
pay attention to the descriptive texts which open the world of inner visualisation, one<br />
which is close to imagination, memory and fantasy. Memory is coded both visually and<br />
verbally.<br />
In his literary work, Jozo KljakoviÊ uses the method of creating images in text that<br />
are based in memory. Given the fact that KljakoviÊ is an artist and a painter, the description<br />
of space and time in a text comes as natural to him as painting on a canvas.<br />
In his literary works, KljakoviÊ leaves room for an analysis of the images in the text<br />
based on the explication of visual content.<br />
According to Wilson (as cited by Purgar, 2013, 148), the reader imagines and sees<br />
images that correspond to his experience in viewing “real” images and to the imagination<br />
horizon in general.<br />
Furthermore, in his essay “Gledanje kroz tekst” [Viewing Through the Text], Purgar<br />
gives the example of Niccolo Ammaniti who uses the technique of writing a literary<br />
text in which he forces the reader to primarily visualize the mental images from given<br />
descriptions. It is precisely via the author’s skill of describing situations that can be<br />
visually and narratively imagined that the images are formed in the text of Jozo KljakoviÊ.<br />
The images in the text of Jozo KljakoviÊ are formed with the same ease while presenting<br />
the hidden corners of memory, while describing via language, i.e. via text; or<br />
by being painted in a painting. Such mental and artistic images offer the reader and the<br />
viewer the joy of visualising experiences.<br />
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4. MENTAL IMAGES OF THE ISLAND OF VIS<br />
IN THE LITERARY WORK OF JOZO KLJAKOVI∆<br />
Jozo KljakoviÊ used to be known to the general public exclusively as a painter. When<br />
he went from Rome to Argentina in 1947 he began writing and continued doing so for<br />
the rest of his life. During his lifetime, he published over 60 articles, essays and polemics,<br />
as well as two books issued by his friends. His autobiographical work “U suvremenom<br />
kaosu” [In a Contemporary Chaos] was published in Buenos Aires in 1952. The<br />
first Croatian issue of this book is a reprint of the original with an added editor’s note<br />
“that the purpose of this work is primarily to point to the basic facts from the lives and<br />
work of persons mentioned by the author” (KljakoviÊ, 1992, 387). The whole book is<br />
based on the author’s impressions and memories related to them. The theoretical analysis<br />
of a literary iconology should be viewed using mental images evoked by the literary<br />
work. An image usually does not represent itself, but is rather in a relation to the<br />
object it represents. This claim can be applied to the images within a literary text. KljakoviÊ’s<br />
descriptions of the island of Vis during WWII are extremely easy to imagine,<br />
both visually and literary. KljakoviÊ presents the description of the island of Vis, which<br />
was at the time under the Italian occupation, by using memories from his personal and<br />
storytelling experience. The geostrategic importance of the island of Vis has always<br />
been present, which is confirmed by historical facts used by KljakoviÊ. As described by<br />
KljakoviÊ, at the time of the occupation, Vis way the first point of contact between Italy<br />
and Tito’s post-war Yugoslavia. Important traffic routes towards Italy and the Allies<br />
crossed Vis and it was precisely one of those routes that KljakoviÊ took when he went<br />
to Italy, then escaped to Hvar, then to Vis and ended up in Bari. Mediterrannean islands<br />
are known for their grapevine, karst and, unfortunately, the poverty of its inhabitants<br />
throughout history. A non-fertile land not suited for cultivation, except for grapevine<br />
and olives, it did not offer its inhabitants enough security when it came to satisfying<br />
their basic needs, as can be read in Jozo KljakoviÊ’s text: “As you know, only<br />
grapevine grows on Vis!” (KljakoviÊ, 1992, 263.)<br />
The mental image evoked after reading this simple sentence creates the space for<br />
visualisation of an island with vineyards, karst, maquis and a fairly modest way of life.<br />
By depicting the post-war poverty further in the text, KljakoviÊ writes: “Before my flight<br />
to Algiers, I begged a British admiral in Taranto to provide twenty wagons of food and<br />
sanitation material for Vis because the only thing I could see was the vast misery facing<br />
the inhabitants of Vis. I managed to do this because I promised the admiral we<br />
would transfer it to the island ourselves with our ships. This was the first package of<br />
help which reached our country from the Allies via the sea... However, in Jajce, when<br />
Tito found out that there are regular boats going to Vis almost every night, which I had<br />
suggested as the main supply base, our motorized trabaccolos, filled with food, sanitation<br />
material and all kinds of weapons and ammunition from the Allies, all paid for and<br />
guarded by the Allies, but still without their influence in the slightest, then it was all<br />
approved and commended, but, thank God, it was not Poduje. At this time, at the be-<br />
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L. Fiπtrek: The Images of Text — Jozo KljakoviÊ<br />
ginning of November, I had already been aligned with real goals of the Partisan movement.<br />
But my wife was still on Vis because they would not let her visit me while she<br />
was still stick and while I was still gaining independence in managing the naval traffic...<br />
via Vis and Hvar they transferred me to the land, to Podgora” (KljakoviÊ, 1992,<br />
263-271). In the part of the paper on the visual reading of a literary work, I stated that<br />
the image presents a reflection, a similarity and a copy, and that, among others, it can<br />
be a mental or a verbal image, according to Purgar. Mental images are formed out of<br />
dreams, memories, ideas and phantasms, while verbal images are formed using metaphors<br />
and descriptions. If we read KljakoviÊ’s text carefully, mental and verbal images<br />
are activated at the same time, based in memory and created by metaphors and descriptions.<br />
5. CONCLUSION<br />
In this paper, I have tried to approach a literary work from the perspective of the interdisciplinary<br />
field of visual studies. By analysing Kreπimir Purgar’s book Slike u tekstu<br />
as well as works of leading scholars in the field of new media and visual studies,<br />
such as W. J. T. Mitchell and G. Boehm, I have analysed the way in which we could<br />
recognize images in literary works, i.e. the way in which authors approach the topics<br />
and structure of their works by enabling the creation of mental images in their readers.<br />
If we take into consideration the fact that mental and verbal images cannot actually<br />
be called images because they are invisible, i.e. we cannot consider them relevant<br />
because there is no way of proving that this is exactly what we saw while visualizing<br />
the text. A mental image cannot be shaped without language, the same way as language<br />
cannot convey any other image except a mental image.<br />
The imagery of the text on the example of the literary work of Jozo KljakoviÊ is<br />
easily noted by the reader and viewer. With a literary work, the comparable way of<br />
viewing can only be the one that takes into account the mental images formed in the<br />
reader’s mind.<br />
For the experience of viewing images, it is necessary to know what the images<br />
desire, claims Mitchell. However, when viewing images in the text by Jozo KljakoviÊ,<br />
by describing events from the past using language components, mental images are<br />
formed in the text. Jozo KljakoviÊ expertly uses the combination of literature and visual<br />
art in his literary work and encourages the reader to view.<br />
References<br />
Barthes R. (2004). Svijetla komora. Biljeπka o fotografiji. Zagreb: Antibarbarus.<br />
Barthes R. (2009). Kritika i istina. Zagreb: Algoritam.<br />
Beker M. (1995). Uvod u komparativnu knjiæevnost. Zagreb: ©kolska knjiga.<br />
Boehm G. (2008). Wie Bilder Sinn erzeugen: Die Macht des Zeigens. Berlin: University Press Berlin.<br />
KljakoviÊ J. (2011). U suvremenom kaosu. Zagreb: Matica hrvatska.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
KljakoviÊ. J. (2012). Libar mog æivota. Ur. Josip DukiÊ. Solin: Dom kulture Zvonimir.<br />
Mitchell. W. J. T. (1994). Picture theory. Essays on Verbal and Visual Representation. Chicago:<br />
Chicago Press.<br />
Solar M. (2005). Teorija knjiæevnosti. XX. izdanje. Zagreb: ©kolska knjiga.<br />
PaiÊ Æ., Purgar K. (2009). Vizualna konstrukcija kulture. Zagreb: Antibarbarus.<br />
PaiÊ Æ. (2006). Slika bez svijeta. Ikonoklazam suvremene umjetnosti. Zagreb: Litteris.<br />
Purgar K. (2013). Slike u tekstu. Talijanska i ameriËka knjiæevnost u perspektivi vizualnih studija.<br />
Zagreb: Duriex, Hrvatska sekcija AICA.<br />
498
Marina GREGORI∆, Ivan HEGEDU©,<br />
Antonija MAR–ETKO, Ana VRKLJAN MURAJ<br />
ATTRACTIVENESS OF RENAISSANCE<br />
FESTIVAL AS A TOURIST<br />
MANIFESTATION IN THE CITY OF<br />
KOPRIVNICA (REPUBLIC OF CROATIA)<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
Manifestation tourism is a specific, selective type of tourism. It belongs to cultural tourism<br />
with the aim of developing and enchancing cultural, educational and communication<br />
segments for tourists and visitors. It also influences and develops scientific and<br />
practical aspect of people's lives (GeiÊ, 2011). The Renaissance Festival is one of the<br />
most famous (tourist) brands in Koprivnica. It is a historical spectacle that includes latemedieval<br />
facts and originality of Koprivnica, Podravina and Croatia. It represents the<br />
period of 656 years since Koprivnica became a free royal town. The settlement dates<br />
from the 13th century and is mentioned in the lists of Croatian-Hungarian king Andrew<br />
II. Arpadovic in 1207, 1209 and 1217. In the 13th century Koprivnica was named after<br />
the river Koprivnica. By the Statute of King Ludovik I. Anzuvinac dated 4 November<br />
1356, based on the legal privileges written in Zagreb Gradec, Koprivnica became a free<br />
and royal city (Feletar, 1997).<br />
The root of the word Koprivnica comes from the word “kopriva” (which means<br />
“nettle”). It is the trademark of the city and is associated with the name of the city, the<br />
story, the peculiarity and the differentiation. All these elements are unpretentious, but<br />
they transform a simple word into an attractive and unique tourist product to enjoy for<br />
the visitors of Koprivnica. The nettle is fully expressed at the Renaissance Festival, since<br />
it was used in the past t for the preparation of nettle beer, produced by medieval friars<br />
in Renaissance breweries (Labazan, R. n.d.).<br />
The Renaissance festival is 12 years old, and the idea was introduced by the Koprivnica<br />
Tourist Board and the festival organizer, Renato Labazan. Every year the festival<br />
has a major topic which is associated with all the events at the festival. Another important<br />
fact is that it is a festival that has managed to ban single-use plastic from the<br />
whole program.<br />
VukoniÊ and »avlek (2001) state that a tourist product can be called the common<br />
result of a single area supply. This is considered to be the totality of material and nonmaterial<br />
elements that belong to the original and derived tourist offer of an area<br />
(space). The Renaissance Festival is a tourist product that has offered an original, con-<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
tentious and quality tourist story for 12 consecutive years, the one that provides its visitors<br />
with entertainment, education, relaxation and cuisine. The festival is rich with interesting<br />
topics, so in 2012 the process of excavation and processing of iron ore was<br />
presented. In 2013 the topic was medieval potting, in 2014 cuisine, in 2015 knight<br />
fights, in 2016 medieval music and in 2017 tinsel and elixir. The event lasts for 4 days<br />
and brings together more than 1000 costumed participants and about 210 exhibitors<br />
who recall the Renaissance times with their products of wood, metal and clay,. Thus,<br />
the event has been held for the thirteenth year in a row and has become the largest<br />
and the most complex manifestation of this type in this part of Europe (TuristiËka zajednica<br />
grada Koprivnice, n.d.).<br />
The idea for the festival itself was brought up by the tourist community director<br />
who had adored history and geography since childhood. When he became the director<br />
14 years ago, he thought about how to turn neglected ramparts into a tourist resource.<br />
The first steps in this were the restoration and revitalization of the old crafts,<br />
which he undertook to shape a medieval ambient. Two and a half years after he became<br />
the director, he started to organize the Renaissance Festival together with his<br />
team of collaborators. Besides being the organizer of the festival, director Labazan is<br />
also the creator of manifestations, music editor and costume designer. In addition, it<br />
can be said that he is also a financial manager because he manages revenues and expenditures.<br />
The team consists of three judges who assist in the organization of the festival<br />
and who are also responsible for the development of this manifestation. At the<br />
lower levels there are another 20 people who are directly involved in the organization<br />
of the event.<br />
“The tourist offer is the opposite of tourism demand and is defined as part of the<br />
market that appears as a provider of goods and services, i.e. as the quantity of goods<br />
and services offered at certain prices in order to satisfy the needs of tourist service users”<br />
(VukoniÊ et al., 2001, 61). The main job of the tourist board is promotion, which<br />
is also the simplest job, but for them is a secondary activity. Promotion in tourism is<br />
defined as a sum of activities aimed at attracting tourists to a particular destination and<br />
their encouragement to buy certain products and services in a tourist destination during<br />
their voyage (VukoniÊ and »avlek, 2001).<br />
The Renaissance Festival, as well as the Tourist Board of Koprivnica, are promoted<br />
through social networks, jumbo posters, radio, television, newspapers, B2 posters,<br />
leaflets, catalogs, banners and city lights. The Renaissance Festival is the largest medieval<br />
manifestation of Europe by its content, participants and demanding organization<br />
itself. The festival has emerged in the city without tradition; there are no castles, stone<br />
fortifications or other medieval buildings, so it overtakes similar events in Croatia in all<br />
its elements.<br />
It is important to mention that in 2015 and 2016 the festival was included in the<br />
top events in the country, according to the Croatian National Tourist Board, along with<br />
other large and expensive music festivals and international sports events. Given that<br />
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M. GregoriÊ, I. Hegeduπ, A. Marappleetko, A. Vrkljan Muraj: Attractiveness of Renaissance...<br />
Koprivnica is a city with no fortresses or castles on which the festival could be held, it<br />
is said to be a unique project. In its 11 years of existence, thanks to the enthusiasm,<br />
imagination and organization of the Koprivnica Tourist Board, the festival has grown<br />
into a distinguished manifestation that acquired the status of a Superbrand (Superbrands,<br />
n.d.) in 2016.<br />
In some ways, the Renaissance festival represents the brand of the town of Koprivnica,<br />
and the very name of this tourist product brings up a number of associations,<br />
such as the past, medieval music, arches and arrows, lizards and the like. “A brand is<br />
considered a bid from a well-known source” (Kotler et al., 2014, 11). Also, a brand is<br />
considered the most enduring property of an enterprise, according to Kotler and associates<br />
(2014). The authors state that it has to be carefully managed so that they do not<br />
lose value. This means that empowering the market value of a brand requires that the<br />
brand/product is always moving forward, in the right direction with new offers and<br />
ways to present them on the market. On the example of the Renaissance Festival, it<br />
can be seen that the organizers invest a lot in this tourist product so that the festival<br />
can be held for twelve years in a row.<br />
Table 1 Comparison of arrivals and overnight stays in Koprivnica and its surroundings<br />
(Source: http://www.dzs.hr/)<br />
Year Arrivals Nights<br />
2012 6 647 12 838<br />
2013 6 045 8 046<br />
2014 7 049 10 724<br />
2015 9 311 11 540<br />
2016 9 359 18 281<br />
From Table 1 it is evident that the number of arrivals and overnight stays has<br />
stayed increasing for 5 years, which is one of the positive elements in the development<br />
of Koprivnica. This increase can be attributed to the Renaissance Festival, which has<br />
had a larger audience every year, and this greatly contributes to the development of<br />
Koprivnica and its surroundings and is considered a positive element in their development.<br />
From all of the above it can be concluded that the Renaissance Festival becomes<br />
more distinguished every year in Croatia, but also throughout Europe. The proof is that<br />
people from the neighboring countries, and even from Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic<br />
and Austria are increasingly visiting. This is due to the good promoters who also<br />
participate in the Renaissance Festival, and come to present their knightly skills and<br />
old crafts that prevailed in their regions during the Renaissance period.<br />
2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS<br />
The main purpose of this research is to explore the attractiveness of the Renaissance<br />
Festival amongst its visitors. This research determines whether tourists visit the city of<br />
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Koprivnica and the Renaissance Festival, whether they are familiar with the tourist offer<br />
of the city and the festival, what do they find the most appealing at the festival,<br />
what are their reasons to visit Koprivnica and the festival, in which accommodation facilities<br />
are they staying, whether they consider the Renaissance Festival as the most attractive<br />
manifestation in Croatia, what is the average age of visitors, and from which<br />
part of Croatia do most of the visitors come<br />
2.1. Methodology and sampling<br />
The research was conducted in the period from 8 to 21 May 2017 via an online survey<br />
questionnaire. The survey was filled by 273 respondents. For the purposes of this<br />
study, a suitable sample was used. The survey was sent to respondents via Facebook<br />
and by email. It consists of 15 questions, some of which are mandatory, and some of<br />
which are optional. The questionnaire consists of 4 closed-ended questions and 11<br />
open-ended questions. There are also 3 questions related to the sociodemographic status<br />
of respondents which are at the end of the questionnaire. The questionnaire is divided<br />
into three parts. The first part consists of filter-questions where respondents are<br />
asked whether they have heard about the festival and whether they have visited it.<br />
There were 51 respondents who left the survey because they did not visit the festival<br />
and are not considered adequate for this research. In the second part of the questionnaire<br />
are the questions related to the visitor's reasons for visiting and accommodation,<br />
then questions related to the souvenirs, the tourist information about the Renaissance<br />
festival, more accurate sources of information and the attractiveness of the manifestation<br />
content (knights' games, old trade fair, night attack or overall experience).<br />
Among the issues is the frequency of visits to the Koprivnica-Kriæevci County, the<br />
satisfaction of the respondents with the tourist development of Koprivnica and its surroundings<br />
and the county, and the question of attractiveness of the festival in relation<br />
to other manifestations. These 3 questions have a linear scale of numbers 1 through 5<br />
so that number 1 indicates that the respondents are not satisfied with the tourist development<br />
of the County, Koprivnica and surrounding area, and number 5 indicates that<br />
the respondents are extremely satisfied with the development of the area. Concerning<br />
the issues of attractiveness of the manifestation in relation to the other, number 1 indicates<br />
that the Renaissance Festival is less attractive or less known, and number 5 indicates<br />
that it is the most attractive event. One of the questions in the second part of the<br />
questionnaire has an open-ended structure where respondents, if they consider the<br />
Renaissance Festival to be less attractive, enter another more attractive manifestation<br />
than the Festival. The third part of the survey refers to sociodemographic questions<br />
about the respondents, their gender, and the place of permanent residence.<br />
2.3. Research results<br />
According to the research results and questionnaire analysis, the Renaissance Festival<br />
is one of the most famous festivals with medieval themes in this area of Europe and<br />
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M. GregoriÊ, I. Hegeduπ, A. Marappleetko, A. Vrkljan Muraj: Attractiveness of Renaissance...<br />
Graph 1 Familiarity of respondents with the existence of the Renaissance Festival<br />
(Source: author's interpretation)<br />
Graph 2 Visitors' attendance at the Renaissance Festival (Source: author's interpretation)<br />
the only such festival in Croatia. From the attached graph (Graph 1) it can be noticed<br />
that 273 respondents answered this question and 179 (66%) heard about the festival<br />
from their friends, relatives and others, 51 (30%) heard about the festival from the media,<br />
and the rest of the respondents — only 12 (4%) did not hear about the festival.<br />
The following graph (Graph 2) shows the level of attendance of visitors at the<br />
Renaissance Festival.<br />
The festival’s attendance grows every year, seeing that the sources suggest that<br />
around 201,000 visitors visited the festival in 2016. The graph shows that 273 respondents<br />
answered this question and that 81% of respondents visited the festival, while only<br />
19% never visited the festival. Majority of visitors (82%), came from Koprivnica.<br />
Therefore, their reason for visiting the event is its proximity to their homes. There are<br />
also cultural reasons that link the theme of the event promoting the development of<br />
cultural tourism, and 7% of the respondents come to Koprivnica with that purpose.<br />
Other reasons are represented to a lesser extent, as the destination itself does not have<br />
a sufficiently developed tourist offer. Koprivnica has not many accommodation facilities<br />
to offer to visitors. Therefore, most visitors (54%) use family accommodation as one<br />
of the cheapest and best options, while the remaining 46% use unaddressed forms of<br />
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Graph 3 Attractiveness of the Renaissance Festival Content (Source: author's interpretation)<br />
accommodation. In addition to the Renaissance Festival, the city of Koprivnica has numerous<br />
other brands, such as the Podravka food factory and bicycle monuments, and<br />
offers the possibility to buy souvenirs such as Vegeta, small bicycle replicas and historical<br />
postcards showing Koprivnica in the 20th century. During the Renaissance Festival,<br />
Koprivnica offers medieval moss and jewelry characteristic for the Middle Ages and<br />
made of wood and clay. Thus, 47.7% of the respondents stated that they buy medieval<br />
beams while they visit the festival, while 16.2% are buying medieval jewelry. The rest<br />
of the respondents stated that they buy postcards (2.7%), local souvenirs (41%) and other<br />
souvenirs of Koprivnica (12.6%) when visiting the city.<br />
The Koprivnica Tourist Board manages promotion through various promotion<br />
channels, for example through promotional materials, social networks, oral recommendations.<br />
The most prominent is geriatric marketing, which is considered the cheapest<br />
way of promoting a manifestation. According to Graph 3, it is evident that the majority<br />
of respondents were informed about the event through social networks, namely<br />
41.4%, while the rest of the respondents were informed about the manifestation by an<br />
oral recommendation (37.4%), through the media (5%), promotional materials (25.2%),<br />
and the smallest number of respondents was informed about the event through travel<br />
agencies (5%) and other sources of information (0.9%).<br />
The Renaissance Festival offers many attractions for its visitors, but the most attractive<br />
content of the festival is the whole experience of medieval life (as per the responses<br />
of 59.5% participants). The specific most attractive content of the festival is<br />
night attack on the city (31.5% responses), medieval entertainers (21.2% responses), old<br />
crafts fair (14.9% responses) and chivalry games (13.5% responses), while the smallest<br />
number of respondents selected medieval food and drinks (9.9%) and the rest of the<br />
content of the Renaissance Festival (0.9%) as showed on the graph 3.<br />
The following graph (Graph 4) shows satisfaction of the visitors with the development<br />
of Koprivnica and its surroundings.<br />
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M. GregoriÊ, I. Hegeduπ, A. Marappleetko, A. Vrkljan Muraj: Attractiveness of Renaissance...<br />
Graph 4 Satisfaction of respondents with the development of Koprivnica and its surroundings<br />
(Source: author's interpretation)<br />
Graph 5 Satisfaction of respondents in the development of the Koprivnica-Kriæevci County<br />
(Source: author's interpretation)<br />
On the scale from 1 to 5, the highest number of respondents, namely 37.8%, claim<br />
that the city and the surrounding area should be rated as 4, while 3.2% of respondents<br />
consider Koprivnica to be not at all tourism-oriented, i.e. they are not at all satisfied<br />
with its tourist development. Out of the other respondents, 17.6% were very satisfied<br />
with the development and rated it 5, while others gave an average rating for the development<br />
of the city and its surroundings. Of the total number of respondents, 31 respondents<br />
are extremely satisfied with the tourist development of the county, while 6<br />
respondents are not satisfied with its development. The highest number of respondents<br />
gave an average rating to the tourist development of the county, while other respondents<br />
are satisfied with the tourist development of the county.<br />
From Graph 6, it can be concluded that the Renaissance Festival is one of the most<br />
attractive manifestations in Croatia, since most of the respondents rated it 4 and 5.<br />
Table 2 shows the attractiveness of other manifestations in relation to the Renaissance<br />
Festival. According to the results, 182 respondents rated the festival as an attractive<br />
event in Croatia, while the rest consider the manifestation as less or more attractive<br />
than the one mentioned above. From the table it can be seen that manifestations<br />
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Graph 6 Attractiveness of the Festival in relation to other manifestations in Croatia<br />
(Source: author's interpretation)<br />
such as Kriæevci SpraviπËe, ©pancirfest and Picokijada are more attractive than the Renaissance<br />
Festival, according to the opinion of the respondents. Other manifestations<br />
were mentioned, but fewer respondents mentioned them as more attractive.<br />
Table 2 Attractiveness of other manifestations in relation to the Renaissance Festival<br />
(Source: author's interpretation)<br />
The name of the event<br />
Number of the respondents<br />
KriæevaËko SpraviπÊe 3<br />
Picokijada 3<br />
©pancirfest 3<br />
Days of Open Square in Zagreb 1<br />
GriËevanje in Zagreb 1<br />
Museum Night 1<br />
Cash and Carry in Zagreb 1<br />
Grillfest in Koprivnica 1<br />
Book Night 1<br />
Galovic Autumn in Koprivnica 1<br />
Music Festival 2<br />
Motovun Film Festival 2<br />
Dubrovnik Summer Festival 1<br />
Advent in Zagreb 1<br />
Sinjska alka 1<br />
Regarding the sex of the respondents, women accounted for 84.2%, while men accounted<br />
for 15.8%. The questionnaire was filled mostly by a younger age group of 19<br />
to 30 years. This is understandable because the survey was conducted online. It is wellknown<br />
that younger populations dominate social networks.<br />
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M. GregoriÊ, I. Hegeduπ, A. Marappleetko, A. Vrkljan Muraj: Attractiveness of Renaissance...<br />
Most of the respondents (according to suitable sample) were permanent residents,<br />
while the rest of the respondents came from neighboring villages and places near Koprivnica,<br />
and several respondents state that they permanently reside in Germany.<br />
2.5. Limitations of the research<br />
The research was carried out on a suitable sample and thus did not cover the entire<br />
population of the Renaissance Festival. One of the research limitations was that the research<br />
was conducted among the population younger than 35 who use social networks<br />
and electronic mail. Social networks are predominantly used by the younger population,<br />
and the festival is visited by people of all ages. The largest limitation of the survey<br />
was the inclusion of the visitor population only from the northwest of Croatia. It<br />
is known that the Renaissance Festival, according to the data from the Tourist Board of<br />
Koprivnica, is visited by tourists from different parts of Croatia.<br />
3. CONCLUSION<br />
The Renaissance Festival is one of the most famous manifestations of this type in Croatia,<br />
but also outside of its borders. It is ranked among top events in the Republic of<br />
Croatia. The proof of this is that in 2016 it was awarded with a Superbrand title in the<br />
category of events. In the beginning, the festival was only a mere story of the organizers,<br />
but year after year it has eventually become the most famous event in Croatia.<br />
The event organizer, who is also the director of the Koprivnica Tourist Board, is responsible<br />
for the event. There is also a team of three people who assist in the organization<br />
of the festival and who, together with the director, are most valued for the development<br />
of such manifestation in this part of Europe. At the lower levels there are<br />
another 20 people who are directly involved in the organization of the event. The research<br />
has led to a survey on how much the respondents are familiar with the festival.<br />
The survey has been conducted and the interpretation of the results shows useful information.<br />
The theoretical review of literature emphasizes important segments used in<br />
the planning and realization of a manifestation such as the Renaissance Festival. More<br />
than 80% of respondents have visited the Renaissance Festival and most of them have<br />
a permanent stay in Koprivnica. The respondents state that the most attractive festival<br />
content is the overall experience of medieval life. Similarly, most respondents rated the<br />
festival as one of the most attractive events in Croatia. Due to the above-mentioned limitations<br />
of research it can be concluded that surveys would be of better quality if visitors<br />
from whole Croatia were included in the survey. Further research should be carried<br />
out to involve respondents throughout Croatia and gain a clearer perspective of<br />
the Festival visitors.<br />
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References<br />
Bartoluci, M. et al. (2007). Turizam i sport — Razvojni aspekti. Zagreb. ©kolska knjiga.<br />
Feletar, D. (1997). Koprivnica — izabrane teme. Koprivnica: NakladniËka kuÊa “Dr. Feletar”.<br />
GeiÊ, S. (2011). Menadæment selektivnih oblika turizma. Split: SveuËiliπte u Splitu.<br />
Kotler, P., Keller, K. L. & MartinoviÊ, M. (2014). Upravljanje marketingom. Zagreb: MATE d.o.o.<br />
Superbrands. O Superbrandsu. Retrieved from http://superbrands.hr/o-superbrandsu-2/ (7. 1. <strong>2018</strong>.)<br />
Labazan, R. (n.d.) Renesansni festival — priËa o koprivi. Retrieved from<br />
http://www.renesansnifestival.hr/prica-o-koprivi/ (9. 1. <strong>2018</strong>.)<br />
TuristiËka zajednica grada Koprivnice. Retrieved from http://www.koprivnicatourism.com/ (7. 1.<br />
<strong>2018</strong>.)<br />
VukoniÊ, B. & KeËa, K. (2001). Turizam i razvoj: pojam, naËela, postupci. Zagreb: Mikrorad d.o.o.<br />
Zagreb plakati. City light. Retrieved from http://www.zagrebplakat.hr/city-light.html (7. 1. <strong>2018</strong>.)<br />
508
Marina GREGORI∆, Ekaterina BLINOVA, Melita SE»AN<br />
THE DEMAND FOR RUSSIA AS<br />
A TOURIST DESTINATION<br />
AMONGST CROATIAN TOURISTS<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
Russia is a state situated on the east of Europe and the north of Asia. It is the largest<br />
country in the world with diverse natural, geographical and historical characteristics. As<br />
one of the most desired tourist destinations, with St. Petersburg selected as the top destination<br />
in 2016, Russia is recognized as a country with plenty of natural beauties, architectural,<br />
historical and cultural attractions. In order to explore the demand for Russia<br />
as a tourist destination amongst Croatian tourists, this research aims to find out Croatian<br />
tourists’ preferences when choosing tourist attractions, destinations, types of accommodation,<br />
selective forms of tourism and reasons to travel to Russia. In spite of the<br />
fact that tourism is not one of the major economic sectors in Russia, it is a developing<br />
sector. The focus of official authorities on stimulating income tourism to Russia has<br />
been obvious in the recent years.<br />
The methodology used in this paper is historical analysis of literature, desk research<br />
and synthesis, as well as qualitative research as a method of primary data collection.<br />
Primary data is interpreted and described in research results. The contribution<br />
of the paper is seen in the analytical approach to demands of Croatian tourists in relations<br />
to Russian tourism, as well as through the conducted method of primary data collection<br />
from those agencies that are directly involved in creation and sales of tour packages<br />
to Russia and influencing the demand for Russia as a tourist destination. In all<br />
terms Croatian travel agencies are promoters of Russian tourism but still not supported<br />
with promotional tools from Russian national tourist board.<br />
2. LITERATURE REVIEW<br />
The literature review provides theoretical background relevant for the research topic<br />
and it is structured to explain the main approach to assessing the demand for Russia<br />
as a tourist destination.<br />
2.1. Tourism demand and tourist attractions<br />
A destination must contain certain elements to be attractive to potential tourists and to<br />
meet their travel needs. The underlying elements include attractions, services and facilities,<br />
accessibility, human resources, image and price. Attractions are the biggest rea-<br />
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son for tourists to come to a destination. Popescu (2013) classifies these as natural<br />
(beaches, parks, climate, relief, hydrographic elements), cultural (museums, galleries,<br />
cultural events) and built attractions (religious buildings, monuments, sports facilities<br />
etc.), as well as attractions such as culture, heritage, lifestyle, folklore, customs and<br />
more.<br />
The attractiveness of the destination is certainly the top priority because it attracts<br />
people looking for vacations, entertainment, recreation, etc. On the other hand, “the<br />
attractiveness of a tourist destination reflects the feelings, beliefs and attitudes that an<br />
individual has about the possibilities of a destination to meet specific tourist needs”<br />
(Dobre et al., 2013, 12). A destination uses its attractions to create its own image, which<br />
in fact represents the attitudes, perceptions, experiences, opinions and prejudices that<br />
an individual has about a certain geographical area. It is formed on the basis of different<br />
notions about a particular tourist destination, and can be seen as a mental image<br />
that promotes activities towards specific target groups (SeneËiÊ, 2006).<br />
The destination image influences the behavior of tourists because a destination<br />
with a stronger, more positive and recognizable image has more chances to be selected<br />
as the destination of a trip. It also affects the pleasure of tourists and their intention<br />
to visit the destination again (Kriæman PavloviÊ, 2008). This section shows the relationship<br />
between tourist demand and supply, which depend on each other. On the other<br />
hand, there are many characteristics that differ. Thus, Kriæman PavloviÊ (2008) lists four<br />
fundamental characteristics of tourism demand; mobility, heterogeneity, elasticity and<br />
seasonality.<br />
Mobility is a result of the impossibility of storing and indivisibility of tourist services<br />
because the services are spent where the tourist resource is located. It is also a<br />
consequence of the geographic distance between the outbound market and the receptive<br />
markets. For these reasons, tourism demand must move towards tourist offer,<br />
which is why very important development of the roads due to the connection of these<br />
two markets. On the other hand, the important factor of the demand is the seasonal<br />
factor, meaning that a location is at the point of focus at a certain time of the year primarily<br />
due to climatic conditions. The heterogeneity or diversity of tourist demand arises<br />
because of individual characteristics of tourists, their needs and desires, which is<br />
why they behave differently on the market. Dobre et al. (2013) groups these characteristics<br />
into four core groups: geographic, demographic, psychological and behaviorist<br />
characteristics. Geographical features include the region from which the tourist comes,<br />
as well as the density of population and the climate characteristics of the place where<br />
the tourist lives. Demographic characteristics include age, gender, size and life cycle of<br />
the tourist’s family, income, occupation, religion and nationality. Psychological features<br />
include belonging to a social class, the way of life and personal preference factors,<br />
while behavioral characteristics include knowledge, attitude, the way of usage or a reaction<br />
to a tourist product. (Kriæman PavloviÊ, 2008)<br />
One of the basic features of tourist demand is also its elasticity, which means that<br />
it responds to changes that have occurred in certain dependent factors. We can make<br />
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M. GregoriÊ, E. Blinova, M. SeËan: The Demand for Russia as a Tourist Destination...<br />
a difference between primary and secondary elasticity. In primary elasticity tourism demand<br />
is sensitive to changes in economic categories on which it depends. It is extremely<br />
elastic in accordance with the amount of income earned and the price level. Accordingly,<br />
tourism demand is increasing or decreasing with respect to personal income. On<br />
the other hand, secondary elasticity shows the variability of demand in relation to the<br />
changes occurring in the supply sector.<br />
Along with these features, there are also factors of tourist demand which greatly<br />
affect tourism demand and consumers decisions. The greatest impact on demand is<br />
personal reasons, needs and desires. The rest of a journey is the time when a person<br />
is trying to satisfy their needs and desires and interact with people. Tourism demand<br />
may have a positive or negative impetus under the influence of society-driven factors.<br />
On the other hand, values and norms influence the attitude towards free time and travel.<br />
Factors of the environment can be topographic features such as time, landscape and<br />
location of residence. Tourism demand is dependent on mobility, urbanization, free<br />
time and distance from the place of residence. Economic factors influencing the demand<br />
are income, standard of living, time costs, working hours, consumer habits, vacation<br />
time, and so on.<br />
A tourist offer has a great impact on tourism demand, because it creates tourist demand<br />
by creating attractive forms and travel goals, by providing a wide range of travel<br />
packages, by encouraging travel through various channels and by providing the necessary<br />
information. Tourist offer is the totality of products offered to tourists on a specific<br />
tourist market for a certain time and at a certain price, and is characterized by heterogeneity,<br />
staticity, non-elasticity and seasonality (Krizman Pavlovic, 2008).<br />
The non-resale of the bid is due to the existence of fixed bid capacity. So, if, for<br />
example, there is a reduction in interest in a particular destination, the offer cannot be<br />
reduced proportionally. The seasonal nature of the business creates a problem of insufficient<br />
capacity utilization and the immovability of the tourist offer related to the destination,<br />
and also contributes to the fact that the offer cannot be changed quickly and<br />
easily as is the case with demand. The general tourist infrastructure achieves over-utilization<br />
of off-season utilization (Senecic, 2006)<br />
Each object is linked to the area where it was built and the tourist service can be<br />
consumed only on that spot, because it is static and non-transferable (Krizman Pavlovic,<br />
2008).<br />
Apart from the fundamental factors influencing the tourist offer, the influence of<br />
external factors on the tourism offer should be emphasized, which may be the influence<br />
of the state, economic entities, the influence of the environment, economy, society<br />
and the impact of demand.<br />
2.2. Travel agencies and their role in influencing tourist demand<br />
Travel agencies are among the intermediaries in the tourist market in order to link the<br />
dislocated supply and demand. The authors Pirjevec and Kesar harmonize the concept<br />
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of tourist and travel agencies and state that a “travel agency” is a commercial entity that<br />
sells its own products to potential customers — a tourist arrangement (group or individual),<br />
consisting of a combination of several different types of services of third parties,<br />
travel and longer stay of tourists in a particular tourist destination (Perjevec and<br />
Kesar, 2002).<br />
From the aforementioned definitions and descriptions of tourist agencies' activities,<br />
basic functions of travel agencies are intermediary functions, information and advisory<br />
functions, advertising functions and organizational functions. The mediation<br />
function is the basic function of travel agencies and the goal is to link the demand to<br />
the offer. The travel agency operates on its behalf but on the account of persons whose<br />
services and products offer transport, accommodation, other various services to end users.<br />
Ultimately, the price of these products is lower than when end users, tourists, individually<br />
and individually, obtain products and services from the manufacturer. Apart<br />
from mediating the sale of their arrangements, travel agencies often sell and make arrangements<br />
for other travel agencies.<br />
The informative-advisory function is also one of the functions of travel agencies<br />
and it consists of free tourist information and useful advice from the area of ??travel,<br />
hospitality, hotel industry, foreign exchange regulations and regulations on issuing visas,<br />
information on entertainment, cultural and other events, historical and other attractions<br />
and attractiveness of particular tourist areas and places, etc. (Pirjevec and Kesar,<br />
2002).<br />
For the purpose of advertising, authors Pirjevec and Kesar use the term “promotional<br />
function”, and this function is closely linked to the information and advisory<br />
function. Agencies often use different tourist propaganda materials, newsletters, notices,<br />
special information of tourist organizations, schedules and tariffs to give tourists<br />
the most complete and useful information (Pirjevec and Kesar, 2002).<br />
In today's tourist market, the organizational function is very important because the<br />
travel agency acts as a creator, initiator and travel organizer. With that function in mind,<br />
the agency's entrepreneurial venture comes to the fore because in that segment of travel<br />
agency organization it works for its name and account. Coming to the market as the<br />
initiator and travel organizer, the travel agency directly influences the growth of tourist<br />
travel in the world.<br />
2.3. Russia as a tourist destination<br />
Russia is the largest country in the world. It has about 140 million inhabitants. Although<br />
more than half of its area is situated in Asia, Russia is ranked among the European<br />
countries for a number of reasons. Primarily, the European part of the Russian Federation<br />
is considerably more populated and more economically developed than the Asian<br />
one. For Croatian prospective tourist Russia is not well-known enough in terms of the<br />
opportunities it has for a traveler. Speaking about distractors in the mind of a prospective<br />
Croatian tourist, the perceived insufficient level of economic development, as well<br />
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M. GregoriÊ, E. Blinova, M. SeËan: The Demand for Russia as a Tourist Destination...<br />
as the associations with the political closure that was in force until the end of the Cold<br />
War are still in the memory of Croatian customers. A lack of a developed tourist infrastructure,<br />
compared to other European countries, is also named by the respondents to<br />
be a distractor. The limiting factor in forming a stronger tourism demand in Croatia is<br />
also influenced by the climate of the country, which is colder than Croatian in most<br />
Russian regions. Due to extremely long and cold winters in northern parts of the country<br />
it is often associated with the phrase “Russian winter,” which became synonymous<br />
with coldness in all parts of the world. Because of this stereotype, most international<br />
tourists visit the country in summer, as well as in the end of spring or beginning of autumn.<br />
2.4. Climate and tourist regions<br />
Because of the climatic features, the Russian Federation cannot value all its factors<br />
equally. The climate prevents the development of bathing tourism. The coastline of<br />
Russia is 17740 km long and has access to 13 Seas. Seaside and bathing tourism has<br />
been developed only in the narrow area of the Black Sea coast, near northern Kaliningrad,<br />
i.e. the Baltic Sea and Azov Sea. There is a stereotype that Russia is predominantly<br />
a lowland full of vast plains, and therefore, because of its relief uniformity, it<br />
does not have great attractions. There is not much information about huge differences<br />
of landscapes in Russia, including mountains, deep forests, lakes and rivers, whose<br />
amount and diversity is among the biggest in the world. Due to the seasonal climate<br />
restrictions and limited in distant regions tourist infrastructure, the major focus in incoming<br />
tourism was traditionally on easily accessible locations, big cultural centers, cities<br />
rich in cultural and historical monuments, cultural institutions and events. There are<br />
three major tourist regions usually identified in Russia: the West, Siberia and the Pacific.<br />
The West encompasses the European part of Russia, where most of the tourist attractions<br />
are and which is also the most developed tourist destination. Tourism is the<br />
mostly concentrated in city centers, and international tourists are most attracted to two<br />
cities: St. Petersburg and Moscow. St. Petersburg is situated at the bank of the Baltic<br />
Sea and is renowned for its rich baroque architecture. The main attraction of St. Petersburg<br />
is the Hermitage Museum, one of the largest and most attractive in the world. It<br />
is located in the Winter Palace, which served as the residence of the Emperor's family.<br />
Near the town are settlements Peterhof and Pushkin, with luxurious summer residences<br />
of former Russian emperors. Moscow is the Russian capital and the largest Russian<br />
city with more than 10 million inhabitants. It has a large number of cultural and historical<br />
monuments, of which the main attraction is the fortress, known throughout the<br />
world under the name of the Kremlin. Near Kremlin walls is a spacious Red Square<br />
with St. Basil's Cathedral, one of the most attractive sacral buildings in the world, and<br />
Lenin's mausoleum. There are also numerous museums, cultural institutions (e.g. the<br />
Bolshoi Theater) and various cultural events, especially ballet performances and concerts.<br />
In a well-wooded area, weekend tourism has been developed thanks to a large<br />
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concentration of holiday homes and recreation houses. The area between St. Petersburg<br />
and Moscow is the historical core of the Russian state, and tourists are attracted<br />
by the cities in which they can find well-preserved cultural and historical monuments.<br />
Among them is Novgorod, a historic city that served as a cradle of Russian politics and<br />
was particularly prominent in the early Middle Ages. To date, numerous cultural and<br />
historical monuments have been preserved in Novgorod. Other cities important for<br />
tourism development are: Tver, Rostov, Jaroslav, Kostroma, Suzdal, while Vladimir and<br />
Bogolyubovo have UNESCO-protected buildings. Since the Cold War ended, an increasing<br />
tourist visit has been recorded in Kaliningrad, located on the coast of the Baltic<br />
Sea. Chernivtsi Oblast, as this political-administrative unit is called, has no ground<br />
contact with the rest of the Russian state because it is located between Polish and Lithuanian<br />
territories. The city was founded by the German settlers in the 13th century and<br />
called Königsberg and by the end of the Second World War it was the main center of<br />
East Prussia. It is distinguished by Central European (German) architecture which differs<br />
from other Russian cities (CuriÊ, Glamuzina, 2013, 246). Kazan and Sochi, together<br />
with the Altai highlands, are other fast developing Russian tourist destinations, attracting<br />
growing incoming tourists attention.<br />
2.5. Tourism in Russia<br />
Russian foreign tourism is quite prominent in the world tourism market. Due to the recent<br />
economic sanctions there are new tendencies that should significantly change the<br />
structure of Russian domestic tourism and its influence on foreign tourism. There are<br />
several external and internal market and political reasons for this. In Russia, the state<br />
encourages the development of domestic tourism through various governmental programs<br />
and strategies. Entrepreneurial activities, competition, investment in tourism and<br />
tourism infrastructure are also on the rise. In today's Russia there is a change of focus<br />
from outbound tourism to domestic tourism. The latter brings additional revenue to<br />
Russian regions. The current economic and political situation contributes to this process.<br />
The fall in revenues caused by an economic crisis forces Russian travelers to travel<br />
less abroad and the number of passengers to domestic destinations is growing. Facing<br />
the economic sanctions, Russian state bodies focus more on internal investment and<br />
the ways to reduce import costs. More attention has been paid to domestic tourism. Incoming<br />
tourism is important for the export of tourist services and creating revenues<br />
with more than 20 million foreign tourists annually (Lepeshkin et al., 2016).<br />
The total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP of Russia was 4,434.5 billion<br />
rubles in 2017 (4,8% of GDP) and is expected to grow by 3,9% to 4,607.1 billion rubles<br />
(4,9% of GDP in <strong>2018</strong>.). Tourism is not a major economic activity in Russia and the direct<br />
contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP accounted to 1.2% of total GDP in 2017<br />
with the forecast of rising to 1.5% of total GDP in 2028. In 2017 Travel and Tourism directly<br />
supported 854,500 jobs in Russia (1.2% of total employment). This is expected to<br />
rise by 4.3% in <strong>2018</strong> and by 2.1% to 1,094,000 jobs (1.7% of total employment) in 2028.<br />
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M. GregoriÊ, E. Blinova, M. SeËan: The Demand for Russia as a Tourist Destination...<br />
At the same time in 2017, the total contribution of Travel & Tourism to employment,<br />
including jobs indirectly supported by the industry was 4.5% of total employment. This<br />
is expected to rise by 2.9% in <strong>2018</strong> to 3,350,500 jobs and rise by 1.2% to 3,782,000 jobs<br />
in 2028 (5.9% of total) (World Travel & Tourism Council: Travel & Tourism Economic<br />
Impact, <strong>2018</strong> — March <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
2. 6. Management of tourism sector in Russia<br />
At the national level, the Ministry of Economics and Develompment is currently responsible<br />
for tourism policy, which shows growing importance of tourism in Russia. The<br />
Ministry is responsible for suggesting and implementing government policies in multiple<br />
areas, including tourism. Accordingly, it is the main administrative and executive<br />
body for creating and implementing tourism policy in Russia. Apart from guiding tourism<br />
policy, the Ministry also carries out other activities related to the development of<br />
certain types of tourism products, and three key tasks can be identified: the development<br />
of tourist and recreational products, the improvement of the quality of services<br />
and the promotion of tourism products on domestic and foreign markets. The main<br />
plan and tourism development strategy is contained in the program of the Russian Federation:<br />
Development of Culture and Tourism from 2013 to 2020. The objectives of the<br />
program are aligned with the action plans and activities contained in the State Program<br />
of the Russian Federation; Development of culture and tourism from 2013-2020, related<br />
to the preservation of cultural and historical heritage, creation of more favorable<br />
conditions for sustainable development of culture and tourism, improvement of the<br />
quality and availability of tourism products and promotion of international recognition.<br />
The Ministry operates through the Federal Tourism Agency — Rustourism, whose task<br />
is to define a strategy, action plan and investment, coordination and cooperation with<br />
regional agencies and departments in planning tourism products, improving service<br />
quality, professional training in tourism, research and statistical monitoring of tourism,<br />
and implementation of the goals of regional local governments. Rustourism is the fundamental<br />
institution responsible for promoting Russia as a tourist destination in the<br />
country and abroad. In 2014, the budget of the Federal Tourism Agency (Rustourism)<br />
allocated RUB 4.637 (millions) for the implementation of the Federal Target Program<br />
— Domestic tourism development in Russia: The Russian Federation 2011-<strong>2018</strong>, which<br />
has three main tasks: the development of tourist and recreational products, improving<br />
the quality of services, and promoting tourism products on domestic and foreign markets.<br />
Rustourism is a coordinating body whose main task is to identify priority tourism<br />
development destinations (e.g. Sochi), improve target market identification, improve<br />
tourism formulation in line with consumer interests, create and manage communication<br />
technologies, knowledge and innovations to improve competitiveness, development<br />
and the implementation of tourism policy and the creation of an integrated tourism security<br />
system (OECD, 2016).<br />
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3. RESEARCH RESULTS<br />
The subject of this paper is to explore the demand of Croatian tourists for Russia as a<br />
tourist destination. Qualitative method is conducted by in-depth semi-structured interviews<br />
with 27 major Croatian tour and travel agents. Research results show the profile<br />
of travelers, their accommodation and destination preferences within Russia, average<br />
expenditure for travel and their satisfaction with the destination. The vast majority of<br />
travel agencies offer arrangements for Russia. The majority of them (84.6%) offered<br />
multi-day trips to Russia, while the rest (15.4%) have no organized trips to Russia. The<br />
most common reason is the crisis, unemployment, few interested parties, and, according<br />
to Kompas, Atlas and Bravo agencies, one of the biggest problems is visa — booking<br />
for reservations in advance, confirmation of hotels and marinas. The results of qualitative<br />
research identifies that the highest travel rate of 45.5% is to Moscow, followed<br />
by St. Peterburg 36.4%. In other cities the rate of departure is much smaller, with the<br />
exception of Nizhny Novgorod (<strong>2018</strong> FIFA World Cup) (9.1%), Kaliningrad (4.5%) and<br />
Rostov na Don (4.5%). According to the research results one of the main tourist attractions<br />
that most Croatian tourists visit in Russia are the Hermitage Museum (36,4%), the<br />
Red Square and Kremlin (31,8%), Peterhof (9,1%), Pushkin (4,5%), the Winter Palace<br />
(4,5%) and other sites (13,5%). The vast majority of tourists who stayed in Russia are<br />
exceptionally satisfied with the total stay. Duration of stay for 50% of respondents is 3<br />
to 6 days while 25% of them stay for 1 week, 20.8% for less than two weeks, and 4.2%<br />
for one day (the reason being the <strong>2018</strong> FIFAWorld Cup). The research also shows that<br />
100% of Croatian tourists stay in hotel accommodation in Russia. Main reasons for traveling<br />
to Russia are desire to visit cultural events 54.3%, nature and landscape 17.1%,<br />
rest and recreation 11.4%, followed by sports events 11.4% and the rest is for other reasons<br />
(such as family visits, jobs, etc).<br />
According to the interviews with agencies, the vast majority of tourists traveling to<br />
Russia showed a high or very high degree of satisfaction with the destination. The visitors<br />
are particularly pleased with the quality of the planned program, cultural and historical<br />
sights, museums, Russian architecture and culture, fountains and hotels, as well<br />
as cultural diversity and organization. Visitors are dissatisfied with only few aspects —<br />
the supporting tourist infrastructure (escalators, accessibility of attractions), flight time,<br />
getting their visas (both the airline ticket and accommodation reservations are required<br />
to get a visa). Among other things, the visitors are very satisfied with the tour guides.<br />
There were differences between Croatian tourists when it comes to the season of traveling<br />
to Russia. Traveling to Russia is most common in spring (81.8%), followed by<br />
summer (12.2%), autumn (3.6%), and a lot less common for winter (2.4%). The research<br />
also shows that the promotion of Russia as a tourist destination is insufficient in Croatia,<br />
as stated by a majority of agencies. In order to evaluate the potential of demand<br />
and influence its growth amongst Croatian tourists, the authors asked for suggestions<br />
for improvement from tourist and travel agencies. According to their responses, the following<br />
recommendations can be given: global promotion, greater engagement of<br />
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M. GregoriÊ, E. Blinova, M. SeËan: The Demand for Russia as a Tourist Destination...<br />
Graph 1 Source of promotional information about Russia as a tourist destination<br />
(Source: author's interpretation)<br />
tourism agencies, expanding travel offers to other parts of non-European Russia, getting<br />
to know the culture of Russia, folk customs and costumes, popularizing Russia as<br />
was done with Catherine the Great, issuing online visas, lower prices, more promotions<br />
via television and jumbo posters, including more airline carriers and flights, local portals<br />
and embarking on charter flights as travel began when Croatia Airlines introduced<br />
flights.<br />
The Graph 1 shows the most common source of information about Russia as a<br />
tourist destination provided to tourists in Croatia.<br />
The tourists receive a majority of promotional information about Russia as a tourist<br />
destination directly from Croatian tour agencies (45.5%), followed by printed brochures<br />
and flyers, also provided by tour agencies (31.8%) while only 13.6% get the information<br />
from internet sources, such as social networks and online newsletters. The<br />
information provided at tourist fairs in Croatia is the source of information for only 9.1%<br />
of the respondents.<br />
The results of the interviews with agencies indicate that most Croatian tourists<br />
choose the tour package which include a ticket, accommodation, excursions and visits<br />
to some attractions (54.5%) followed by an airline ticket with excursions (18.2%) and<br />
an airline ticket plus accommodation (27.3%). There were significant differences between<br />
travel agencies in assessing the procedure for issuing visas for Croatian tourists<br />
(speed, efficiency and service satisfaction), with the largest share giving it a rating of 4,<br />
i.e. very good (50%), rating 5, i.e. excellent (31.8%), and the lowest score of 3, i.e. good<br />
(18,2%).<br />
In the Graph 2 the authors identified the presence of constant demand for Russia<br />
as a tourist destination in 43% of Croatian tourist market, while the agencies demand<br />
has increased for 38% of them. Only 19% of the agencies claim that the selection of<br />
Russia as a tourist destination has decreased.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Graph 2 Trends in the selection of Russia as a tourist destination by Croatian tourists<br />
(Source: author's interpretation)<br />
518<br />
4. CONCLUSION<br />
The results of the research clearly shows that the vast majority of travel agencies in Croatia<br />
offer programs and travel packages to Russia due to the demand for such trips by<br />
Croatian tourists. The promotional efforts of travel agencies in Croatia contribute to the<br />
increased demand for trips to Russia. At the same time the economic crisis, unemployment,<br />
and issues related to issuing visas are the reasons that a minority of travel agencies<br />
have no organized travel tours to Russia.If they have any inquiries, they manage<br />
them with large agencies such as Kompas, Mondo Travel and Integral.<br />
The main research findings indicate that Russia is considered a well-known tourist<br />
destination, but there is still a small number of Croatians who have visited Russia.<br />
The primary sources of information on Russia are those surveyed in the qualitative research<br />
where almost half of them are quoted through travel agencies. Significant deviations<br />
were noted in the use of certain sources of information, with 31.8% of the printed<br />
materials being printed. Of the formal channels, most tourists use the Internet, social<br />
networks, newsletters, and only a small part of them acquire information from tourist<br />
fairs in the Republic of Croatia.<br />
Cultural and historical heritage is a primary reason for attracting the majority of<br />
tourists traveling with travel agencies. A significant share is motivated by the desire to<br />
get acquainted with natural beauty, while the importance of sports events, rest and recreation,<br />
and work is lower. The results of the research point to numerous differences<br />
(e.g. visiting tourist attractions and destinations). The dominant travel rate is in Moscow<br />
and St. Petersburg. In other cities the travel rates are much smaller. Therefore, trips<br />
to the cities of Nizhni Novgorod, Kaliningrad and Rostov on Don are not because of<br />
Russia, but exceptionally because of the <strong>2018</strong> FIFA World Cup. The main tourist attractions<br />
that Croatian tourists mostly visit in Russia are the Hermitage Museum (36.4%),
M. GregoriÊ, E. Blinova, M. SeËan: The Demand for Russia as a Tourist Destination...<br />
the Red Square and Kremlin (31.8%), followed by Peterhof, Pushkin and the Winter<br />
Palace. Travelers are extremely satisfied with the offer and have given it a high or very<br />
high rating. At the same time, main results of the research provide an insight into larger<br />
or more frequent issues related to visa issuance, lack of global promotion, high hotel<br />
prices. The main results of the survey indicate that the highest travel rate lasts from<br />
three to six days, with the exception of the World Cup trips (one day).<br />
According to the research results it can be concluded that the most important role<br />
of travel agencies in Croatia is promoting Russia as a tourist destination and their influence<br />
is more prominent than that of Russian tourism authorities. Accordingly, the authors<br />
recommend, with the goal of increasing the number of Croatian visitors to Russia<br />
— the possibility of issuing visas online or abolishing visas, greater involvement of<br />
national tourist organizations in promotional activities on the Croatian market, i.e. a<br />
more effective promotion — popularizing Russia as done with the Catherine Grand Hotel,<br />
lower hotel prices and introducing more flights to Russia. As part of this, increased<br />
promotion from Russian authorities and tourism sector could stimulate not only the<br />
tourist flow from Croatia to Russia but also contribute to the overall development of incoming<br />
tourism to Russia.<br />
References<br />
CuriÊ, Z., Glamuzina, N., OpaËiÊ, V. T. (2013). Geografija turizma, Zagreb, Naklada Ljevak.<br />
Lepeshkin, V. A., Khristov, T. T., Gregoric., M. (2016). Inbound tourism within the context of<br />
Russian tourist market transformation.<br />
https://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?id_clanak_jezik=234707& show=clanak<br />
Enciklopedija: opÊa i nacionalna: u 20 knjiga (glavni urednik Antun VujËiÊ), Zagreb, Proleksis:<br />
VeËernji list, 2007, sv. 17, str. 223-230.<br />
Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts (authors: H. J. de Blij, Peter O. Muller), 12th ed.<br />
Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2006.<br />
OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2016 (Summary in Russian). https://www.oecd-ilibrary.<br />
org/industry-and-services/oecd-tourism-trends-and-policies-2016/summary/<br />
russian_4d73522e-ru<br />
Russian Federation. http://ec.europa.eu/DocsRoom/documents/17561/attachments/41/translations/<br />
en/renditions/native<br />
Rusija/Proleksis enciklopedija. http://proleksis.lzmk.hr/1058/http://proleksis.lzmk.hr/1058/<br />
World Travel & Tourism Council: Travel & Tourism Economic Impact, <strong>2018</strong>, March <strong>2018</strong>. All rights<br />
reserved.<br />
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Boris HAJO©, Mateja POPOVI∆<br />
PUBLIC RELATIONS OF CIVIL SOCIETY<br />
ORGANIZATIONS IN CROATIA<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
Non-profit, non-governmental, civil society organizations, religious communities and<br />
initiatives of all kinds use strategic communication to achieve their goals. They try to<br />
motivate and mobilize their volunteers and sympathizers, influence the media, promote<br />
their ideas and values, and through communication strive to change the society. Democratic<br />
development, digital communication and civic engagement stress the importance<br />
of communication in the public sphere (Castells, 2008, p. 73).<br />
LITERATURE REVIEW<br />
Civil society is often a confusing term imbued with several meanings: normative (as civilized),<br />
functional (as democratizing), and a structural (civil society as the third sector)<br />
(Viterna et al., 2015). Salamon & Sokolowski (2016) define the third sector as a set of<br />
organizational and individual activities that are: 1. private — individual or collective action<br />
outside the sphere and control of the government; 2. in public purpose — serve<br />
broader community not to generate profit; and 3. free choice — pursued without compulsion.<br />
CIVICUS defines civil society as the arena outside the family, the state, and the<br />
market, which is created by individual and collective actions, organizations, and institutions<br />
to advance shared interests. Civil society encompasses civil society organisations<br />
(CSOs) and actions of less formalised groups and individuals (CIVICUS, 2011, p. 8).<br />
In order to differ from states, international institutions and firms, CSOs must be institutionalized,<br />
non-profit distributing, self-governing, voluntary and private organizations<br />
(Salamon & Sokolowski, 2016). There are many types of CSOs (religious, community-based,<br />
philanthropic, expert groups, trade unions etc.) and they often advocate<br />
their ideas, provide services and capacity building. They influence authorities and impact<br />
the policy-making process by expressing cultural, spiritual, political, social, environmental<br />
and ethnical concerns (Salamon et al., 2004). CSOs provide services to the<br />
population (welfare services, education, recreation, health, family, humanitarian support,<br />
development etc.) and expertise to businesses, governments and international institutions.<br />
CSOs also provide capability so that people could take care of themselves<br />
(Desse, 2012). WEF (2013) states that the role of CSOs is moving to facilitators, conveners<br />
and innovators in tackling societal problems and should no longer be viewed<br />
as the “third sector”, but the glue that binds public and private activity together to<br />
strengthen the common good.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Grunig & Hunt define PR as the management of communication between an organisation<br />
and its publics (1984:6). For CIPR, PR is the discipline which looks after reputation,<br />
with the aim of earning understanding and support and influencing opinion<br />
and behaviour. It is a planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill<br />
and mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics (CIPR). Andreasen<br />
& Kotler (2008) emphasized the importance of public relations for nonprofits and defined<br />
two models of their PR: the classic, traditional model centred on institutional image<br />
and awareness (public advocacy) model, closer to contemporary public relations<br />
that serve to initiate social action.<br />
CSOs must communicate their activities and scope of their work to attract interest<br />
of the public and ensure its support and engagement. Feinglass (2005) stresses that PR<br />
is the key to survival of nonprofits, essential for raising money, attracting new and retaining<br />
existing members, energizing supporters and fulfilling the organization's mission.<br />
Durham (2009) said that earlier nonprofits rarely provided budget or staff for communications,<br />
but invested resources in launching programs, and communicated on an<br />
ad hoc basis. Increasingly, more nonprofit leaders see the value of marketing, branding,<br />
and communications. Nonprofits typically communicate to raise money, to reach<br />
audiences for programs and to advocate their ideas. They measure the impact of communications<br />
in terms of the ability of communications to support and advance their<br />
mission i.e. income, outreach and legislation.<br />
Public relations are about continuous influence, image, reputation building and<br />
storytelling. One of its earlier synonyms was media relations, as media became a major<br />
component of the public sphere. Through media, CSOs could reach and mobilize<br />
people in support of their cause, put pressure on governments and on corporations<br />
fearful of voters and consumers’ reactions (Castells, 2008). Through the years, PR<br />
moved from media relations to direct (online) communication with consumers. PR must<br />
listen to consumers and be aware of what they expect and hope for. As people spend<br />
more time browsing online than reading and due to content saturation, any (textual)<br />
content has to be more condensed, and visual and video messages became more important.<br />
Dimitrov states that communications are the most underestimated topic in the third<br />
sector studies. Through new technologies, nonprofits should produce their own publicity<br />
so they do not depend on traditional media coverage. Successful NPOs build their<br />
communication capital and legitimacy as a reliable and credible news source. Their success<br />
depends on empowering organizational communicators or hiring PR professionals,<br />
mastering internal communication and online advocacy (Dimitrov, 2008, p. 9). Castells<br />
concludes that capacity of social movements to change public mind depends on<br />
their ability to shape the debate in the public sphere, and to succeed in it, public relations<br />
and communication on social media are crucial (2008, p. 86). To conclude, in-<br />
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B. Hajoπ, M. PopoviÊ: Public Relations of Civil Society Organizations in Croatia<br />
sights from public relations can assist CSOs in fundraising, activism, motivating staff,<br />
strategic communication with stakeholders and use of technology.<br />
RESEARCH OF PUBLIC RELATIONS IN<br />
CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS IN CROATIA<br />
Systematic research in public relations on CSO communication in Croatia hardly exists.<br />
We will present two earlier studies on media relations and on the usage of social media<br />
of Croatian CSOs.<br />
Tafra VlahoviÊ (2013) stresses that CSOs’ media relations, co-operation with the<br />
media, and media support are crucial for CSOs’ success, building trust and understanding<br />
with stakeholders and public service. The reasons for weak co-operation with the<br />
media are lack of knowledge and misinformation of one another, mutual distrust, and<br />
insufficient co-operation and communication. CSOs do not include the media in their<br />
activities, use project jargon, do not have enough “human interest stories” or media outreach<br />
is left to younger inexperienced staff. There is also a lack of money for hiring PR<br />
experts; CSOs’ activities are often uninteresting to the public or the media; the CSOs<br />
lack communication strategies, the unprofessionalism of journalists and the closure of<br />
numerous media due to the economic crisis. On the other hand, the media do not understand<br />
the corrective role of the CSOs towards the government, their role as agents<br />
of change in the democratic process, and they insufficiently follow their work. As a solution,<br />
Tafra VlahoviÊ proposes capacity building of CSOs in PR to adopt new knowledge<br />
and skills in media relations, awareness raising and advocacy.<br />
Research on Social Media and Civil Society (Doniralica, 2013) showed that Croatian<br />
CSOs do not use social media to their full potential. Most organizations use social<br />
media, but only half of them are active users. In total, 87% of organizations have profiles<br />
on social networks, 91% on Facebook, 28% on Twitter, 14% on LinkedIn and 51%<br />
on YouTube. Furthermore, 13% of participating CSOs do not have a website and 19%<br />
do not use a mailing list for communication with their users. The most important CSO<br />
activities on social networks were awareness raising and public relations for 91% CSOs,<br />
promotion of their goals and activities (89%), engagement and retention of supporters<br />
(88%), and advocacy (70%), while the least important activites were fundraising and recruitment.<br />
Vast majority (97%) of CSOs believe that social media are important for their<br />
work, so a lot of their marketing and communication activities are done through social<br />
networks; and 10% of CSOs have a person in charge of PR who in parallel maintains<br />
social network profiles.<br />
RESEARCH AIM<br />
The aim of this research was to explore the practice of using PR tools among Croatian<br />
civil service organisations, the importance and frequency of the used PR tool, communication<br />
problems and their educational needs in the field of PR.<br />
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The main research questions were to what extent are civil society organisations in<br />
Croatia satisfied with their usage of PR and digital communication and what the problems<br />
in pursuing PR are.<br />
HYPOTHESES<br />
— H1 — CSO members and employees insufficiently use PR tools in their work<br />
— H2 — CSO members and employees have insufficient knowledge and skills to use PR<br />
— H3 — online PR tools dominate over “traditional” PR tools.<br />
RESEARCH METHOD<br />
The research is based on a quantitative survey among professionals and volunteers of<br />
CSOs in Croatia. The research was conducted in April <strong>2018</strong>, on a convenience and nonrandom<br />
(purposive) sample of 295 CSOs. The online questionnaire was prepared in the<br />
Survey Monkey tool, sent to 2,500 organizations whose e-mail address were listed in<br />
the National Registry of Non-Governmental Associations and the response rate was<br />
11,8%. According to their formal status, participants came from 274 associations, 7 nonprofit<br />
institutions, 6 artistic organizations, 2 foundations, 2 political parties, a religious<br />
community, a chamber, a fire brigade and a council of national minorities.<br />
The geographical scope of CSOs activity was: a smaller town — 17% (51 CSOs),<br />
a county (wider administrative unit in Croatia) — 22% (65), the City of Zagreb (Capital)<br />
— 9% (27), a wider geographical region (Istria, Dalmatia, Slavonia, Middle and<br />
Northern Croatia) — 6% (19), the whole country — 23% (68) and Croatia and internationally<br />
(wider region) — 22% (65 CSOs).<br />
According to their field of work, 44% of participating organisations deal with children<br />
and adolescents, 39% with culture and arts, 31% with education, 28% with healthcare<br />
and social welfare, 18% withlaw, civil society and politics, 17% with environmental<br />
and animal welfare protection, 16% with international relations, 16% with philanthropy<br />
and promotion of volunteering, 14% with sports and recreation, 10% with science<br />
and research etc. (More in Table 1)<br />
CSO’S SATISFACTION WITH THEIR PUBLIC VISIBILITY<br />
More than half of the respondents (54%) say that they are satisfied with their public visibility,<br />
whilst a third (34%) is not and 13% does not know or are undecided. The most<br />
satisfied with their visibility (See Table 1) are the CSOs dealing with technology, technics<br />
and hobbies (83%), environmental protection (60%), economy and economic development<br />
(60%), sports and recreation (57%) and people with disabilities and special<br />
needs (57%). The most dissatisfied with their public visibility are the CSOs dealing with<br />
war veterans and war victims (56%), women's rights (48%), sexual and gender minorities<br />
(47%), science and research (45%), international activities (43%) and national minorities<br />
(40%). The most satisfied with their public visibility are the CSOs acting at the<br />
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B. Hajoπ, M. PopoviÊ: Public Relations of Civil Society Organizations in Croatia<br />
national level and those in smaller towns; the bigger CSOs acting on the national level<br />
are more visible due to their mere size, while those in small towns stand out more<br />
in smaller surroundings.<br />
Table 1 CSOs' field of work and their satisfaction with public visibility<br />
Satisfied with Dissatisfied Do not<br />
Percentage public with public know/<br />
CSOs’ Field of work of sample Number visibility visibility undecided<br />
Children and adolescents 44% 129 50% 35% 16%<br />
Culture and Arts 39% 115 48% 39% 13%<br />
Education 31% 91 52% 35% 13%<br />
Health and social protection 28% 82 54% 37% 10%<br />
Law, civil society and politics 18% 53 55% 34% 11%<br />
Environmental protection<br />
and animal welfare 17% 50 60% 30% 10%<br />
International activities 16% 47 47% 43% 11%<br />
Philanthropy and promotion<br />
of volunteering 16% 46 54% 33% 13%<br />
Sports and recreation 14% 42 57% 33% 10%<br />
Science and research 10% 29 48% 45% 7%<br />
Economy and economic<br />
development 9% 25 60% 36% 4%<br />
Women's rights 9% 25 44% 48% 8%<br />
Technology, technics and hobbies 8% 24 83% 17% 0%<br />
National minorities 7% 20 40% 40% 20%<br />
Sexual and gender minorities 5% 15 33% 47% 20%<br />
War veterans and war victims 3% 9 44% 56% 0%<br />
Business & professional<br />
associations, trade unions 3% 8 50% 38% 13%<br />
Religion and spirituality 2% 6 50% 17% 33%<br />
Care for people with disabilities<br />
and special needs 5% 14 57% 21% 14%<br />
Humanitarian activity 2% 6 50% 33% 17%<br />
Other: 6% 18 67% 22% 11%<br />
Public relations are important for the work and success of almost all organizations<br />
— 91% (exceptionally for 56% CSOs and moderately important for 35% moderately important,<br />
whereas for 5% CSO PR is of little or no importance and 4% do not know or<br />
are undecided). For the majority of CSOs operating at the geographical scope of the<br />
whole of Croatia, PR is extremely important for 70% and moderately important for 27%.<br />
For CSOs operating internationally (Croatia + wider region), PR is extremely important<br />
for 63% and moderately for 30%. For CSOs acting at the national level or on the level<br />
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of a larger region (Istria, Dalmatia, Slavonia, Central & Northern Croatia), PR is extremely<br />
important for 50% and moderately for 33%. Geographical scope in which the organizations<br />
operate therefore has a bearing on the importance of public relations for CSOs.<br />
ADVANTAGES OF PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />
FOR CSO’S<br />
The major advantages of public relations for the survey participants are shown in Table<br />
2.<br />
Table 2 Major advantages of public relations for CSOs<br />
Advantages of public relations for CSO’s %<br />
Promotion of their work, raising awareness of their organisation’s work and mission 89%<br />
Attracting new members/volunteers and their engagement 59%<br />
Fundraising 58%<br />
Advocating, opening a public debate on an issue and influencing the public opinion 55%<br />
Rapid information dissemination, direct communication and co-operation with the public 52%.<br />
For the creation of a more sensitive and better civil society 47%<br />
In transparency, management and accountability of CSOs 43%<br />
In lobbying and influencing the decision makers 39%<br />
Finding partner organizations in joint projects 36%<br />
For information gathering and research 19%.<br />
In around three quarters of CSOs (72%) organizational leadership is in charge of<br />
public relations , in 32% of CSO the one who comes first communicates, in 16% it is<br />
the duty of a spokesperson (who have the sole responsibility for communication in 8%<br />
of CSOs), in 13% of CSOs the volunteers communicate, in 3% it is self-employed experts<br />
or PR consultancies and in 4% of CSOs no one takes care of the PR.<br />
The average grade by which CSO representatives rate their conduct of public relations<br />
is good (2.7 on a scale from 1 of 5); 28% evaluate their PR as very good (4)<br />
while 20% rate itas inadequate (1) and 20% as sufficient (2). Just 3% of CSOs evaluate<br />
their PR as excellent (5) whilst 27% do not know or are undecided. This evaluation<br />
points out that the representatives of CSOs are aware of their insufficient usage of PR<br />
tools in their work.<br />
Table 3 points out the relations between satisfaction with public visibility, self-assessment<br />
of PR and the position of the spokesperson related to the CSOs’ geographical<br />
scope of activity. CSOs acting at the national level are the most satisfied with their<br />
visibility, CSOs acting on a regional level rate their PR the highest, CSOs working both<br />
in Croatia and abroad have a spokeperson the most often, and the leadership communicates<br />
the most often in the cases of CSOs from small towns and from Zagreb.<br />
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Table 3 Satisfaction with public visibility, self-assessment of PR, position of a spokesperson<br />
related to CSOs’ geographical scope of activity<br />
Satisfaction Self- Has<br />
Geographical scope with public assessment spokes- Leadership<br />
of CSOs % of total visibility of PR person communicates<br />
Town 17% 61% 2,5 6% 80%<br />
County 22% 54% 2,5 9% 66%<br />
City of Zagreb 9% 41% 2,4 22% 80%<br />
Croatian regions* 6% 58% 2,9 0% 74%<br />
Croatia 23% 65% 2,8 15% 74%<br />
Croatia and abroad 22% 40% 2,6 32% 63%<br />
* Istria, Dalmatia, Slavonia, Middle and Northern Croatia<br />
When asked about the frequency of PR tools used, the CSO representatives state<br />
that they post on social media on a daily basis, publish web site posts on a weekly basis<br />
and issue press releases mostly on a monthly basis. Less often, mainly quarterly they<br />
organize diverse events —public actions, debates, lectures and conduct internal communication<br />
for their employees/members. Once a year they shoot video stories and<br />
publish them online, advocate their ideas/influence decision makers, organize media<br />
campaigns and press conferences, edit and publish their printed magazines or bulletins.<br />
Conducting a public opinion research (64% never) and writing blog posts (87%<br />
never) are performed the least often, as shown in Table 4.<br />
Table 4 Frequency of usage of PR tools<br />
Once<br />
PR tools and actions Daily Weekly Monthly Quarterly a year Never Ponder<br />
Social media posts 41% 31% 13% 6% 2% 6% 4,84<br />
Web site posts 19% 30% 26% 12% 2% 11% 4,19<br />
Issuing press releases 5% 14% 32% 26% 14% 10% 3,43<br />
Organizing events — public<br />
actions, debates, lectures 3% 8% 19% 32% 27% 10% 2,98<br />
Conducting internal communication<br />
for employees/members 10% 14% 14% 15% 14% 33% 2,9<br />
Shooting video stories and<br />
publish them online; 2% 6% 15% 22% 27% 28% 2,5<br />
Advocating their ideas/<br />
lobbyying decision makers 5% 4% 16% 19% 20% 35% 2,49<br />
Organizing media campaigns 1% 2% 3% 17% 31% 47% 1,84<br />
Organizing press conferences 0% 1% 2% 13% 37% 46% 1,76<br />
Writing, editing and publishing<br />
their own magazine or bulletin 2% 3% 6% 10% 14% 66% 1,71<br />
Writing blog posts 2% 4% 6% 4% 1% 83% 1,54<br />
Public opinion research 0% 1% 2% 8% 26% 64% 1,49<br />
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COOPERATION WITH SELF-EMPLOYED EXPERTS,<br />
PR CONSULTANCIES, ADVERTISING AND DIGITAL AGENCIES<br />
In the implementation of its PR, 20% of CSOs use some form of external assistance.<br />
15% of CSOs cooperate with self-employed PR experts (freelancers), PR consultancies<br />
are hired by 7% CSOs, full service advertising agency by 3% and digital agencies by 3%<br />
CSOs. Although 80% of CSOs do not use an agency or PR experts, 12% of CSOs would<br />
like to do it if they had the necessary funds. Self-employed PR experts are hired by 25%<br />
of CSOs operating in Croatia and abroad, 18% of those acting on the national level, 15%<br />
of CSOs in Zagreb, 8% of those in small towns and 6% at the county level. PR consultancies<br />
are hired mostly by CSOs operating at the scope of the entire Croatia at 13%,<br />
followed by 6% of those operating in Croatia and abroad, 7% of CSOs in Zagreb and<br />
only 1% of those at the national level. Advertising agencies are hired by 5% of CSOs<br />
operating at the national level and 8% of CSOs operating in Croatia and abroad. Digital<br />
agencies are hired by 3% of CSOs at the country level and wider region, 3% of CSOs<br />
operating in counties and 5% of those in the wider regions.<br />
Out of the 13% CSOs that use external agencies, half of them (6,5%) hire the agencies<br />
professionally and the same percentage of CSOs (6,5%) gets agency help on a pro<br />
bono basis. Table 5 points out that hiring an agency or self-employed PR experts is influenced<br />
by the size of an organization and the scope of its activity, as most CSOs that<br />
use PR tools are those operating at the national level or at the level of Croatia and<br />
abroad and they are the ones that hire external agencies the most.<br />
Table 5 CSOs’ cooperation with independent experts, PR, advertising and digital agencies<br />
related to their scope of activity and sort of cooperation<br />
Geographical Self-employed PR Advertising Digital Hire Help<br />
scope of CSO % in total expert Consultancy agency agency professionally pro bono<br />
Town 17% 8% - - - 4% 2%<br />
County 22% 6% 1% 1% 3% 2% 0%<br />
City of Zagreb 9% 15% 7% - 11% 4%<br />
Croatian regions* 6% - - - 5% - 21%<br />
Croatia 23% 18% 13% 5% 3% 12% 9%<br />
Croatia and abroad 22% 25% 6% 8% 3% 8% 11%<br />
*Istria, Dalmatia, Slavonia, Central and Northern Croatia<br />
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY,<br />
BUDGET AND EVALUATION<br />
Only 15% of CSOs have an annual communication strategy whilst 85% do not have it.<br />
Similarly, 17% of CSOs have a special communication budget and 83% do not have it.<br />
The CSOs that have a communication strategy 25% mostly CSOs operate in Croatia and<br />
abroad, 19% operate in Croatia, 16% at large Croatian regions, 15% in Zagreb, 12% at<br />
a county level, and 2% at a smaller town level. A communication budget is held by 25%<br />
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CSOs operating in Croatia and internationally (25%), 22% of CSOs in Zagreb and 17%<br />
of CSOs operating at the national level, 16% of CSOs acting at the level of large regions,<br />
14% of those operating at the county level, and 8% of those at the smaller town level.<br />
Unlike with the possession of a communication strategy, it is to be noted that a higher<br />
percentage of CSOs in Zagreb and in smaller towns have a special communication<br />
budget, which indicates that they are aware of the need for paid promotion and PR<br />
(Table 6).<br />
Table 6 Communication strategy, budget and evaluation<br />
related to the scope of CSO work<br />
Has a Has a Evaluate<br />
Geographical % of No of PR No of PR No of communi- No of<br />
scope of CSOs total CSOs strategy CSOs budget CSOs cations CSOs<br />
Town 17% 51 2% 1 8% 4 8% 4<br />
County 22% 65 12% 8 14% 9 20 13<br />
City of Zagreb 9% 27 15% 4 22% 6 19% 5<br />
Croatian regions* 6% 19 16% 3 16% 3 26% 5<br />
Croatia 23% 68 19% 13 17% 11 14% 21<br />
Croatia and abroad 22% 65 25% 16 25% 16 42% 27<br />
Total 295 15% 45 17% 49 25% 75<br />
*Istria, Dalmatia, Slavonia, Central and Northern Croatia<br />
Overall, only 10% of CSOs have both a communication strategy and a special<br />
budget designated for its implementation. Of those organizations, 20% professionally<br />
hire an external agency, and the same number cooperate (20%) with agencies on a pro<br />
bono basis. Other 60% of CSOs with a PR strategy and a PR budget do not use the help<br />
of external agencies even though they would like to hire them. Also, only 13% of organizations<br />
with a communication strategy cooperate professionally with a PR consultancy,<br />
and 18% of CSOs with a PR strategy are assisted by PR consultancies free of<br />
charge, and 40% of CSOs with a communication strategy want to hire them. Interestingly,<br />
15% of the total sample of CSOs ha an annual communication strategy, and 2/3<br />
of them do not have a budget dedicated to its implementation. On the other hand, it<br />
is unclear how 40% of organizations with a special budget dedicated to PR do not have<br />
an annual communications strategy.<br />
We can conclude that organizations that have a communication strategy and a<br />
budget dedicated to PR are aware of the importance of PR and the need for hiring or<br />
cooperating with specialized communication agencies, but do not have the funds.<br />
The most important communication tools for CSOs are web sites, e-mails, social<br />
media and various events (forums, debates, meetings…);their own publications (leaflets,<br />
brochures, newsletters...) radio, TV are less important,and the least important is<br />
print media (Table 7).<br />
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Table 7 Most important PR tools for CSOs<br />
Not<br />
Do not know<br />
important Not or cannot Very Most<br />
PR Tools at all important decide important important Ponder<br />
Web site 2% 1% 4% 21% 71% 4,58<br />
E-mail (personalized) 0% 3% 5% 23% 69% 4,58<br />
Social media, blog posts 2% 2% 6% 16% 73% 4,56<br />
Diverse events — public actions,<br />
debates, lectures 1% 2% 10% 28% 60% 4,44<br />
Own print leaflets, bulletin<br />
or magazine 4% 7% 9% 31% 49% 4,16<br />
Radio 4% 5% 11% 34% 46% 4,12<br />
TV 6% 7% 10% 28% 48% 4,05<br />
Print (dailies, weekly,<br />
monthly magazines) 4% 9% 10% 39% 39% 4<br />
25% CSOs pursue the evaluation of communication activities, 57% do not and 18%<br />
respondents do not know. Three quarters of CSOs that have both a PR strategy and a<br />
budget to evaluate communication, and 25% do not know. Also, only 55% of organizations<br />
that have a special PR budget carry out evaluation of communication activities.<br />
The most common evaluation methods for those CSO that evaluate communications are<br />
website and social media analytics (55%), followed byconducting a media analysis<br />
(45%) and conducting polls or personal surveys at their events (27%). We conclude that<br />
evaluation of communications is insufficient and that improvements are possible, at<br />
least in the usage of free analytic tools for web sites and social media, which can help<br />
CSOs to precisely target specific public and improve its PR.<br />
PROBLEMS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS IMPLEMENTATION<br />
The biggest internal problems in the implementation of PR for CSOs is lack of funds<br />
(64%), too much work/lack of time (57%), shortage of personnel (54%), other urgent<br />
tasks taking over other priorities (42%) and lack of a PR strategy (39%). For a smaller<br />
percentage of CSOs, the problems are a lack of coordination within the organization<br />
(14%), inactive leadership (7%) or the unrealistic expectations of the leadership about<br />
what can be achieved by communication (7%).<br />
MEDIA RELATIONS<br />
The most important types of media for 75% of CSOs are local media, for 48% regional<br />
media, while national media are important for 45% of CSOs. Regarding satisfaction with<br />
media relations half (47%) of the CSOs are satisfied with their co-operation, 19% are<br />
very satisfied, 19% are dissatisfied, while 15% do not know or are undecided.
B. Hajoπ, M. PopoviÊ: Public Relations of Civil Society Organizations in Croatia<br />
The biggest problems in media relations for CSO representatives are the facts that<br />
CSO activities are uninteresting to the media (47%), CSO’s own inadequate public relations<br />
efforts (35%), media sensationalism (33%), media that often report on a small<br />
number of the same CSOs (28%); journalists’ unfairness (2,2%) and the negative media<br />
attitude towards CSOs (5%). Other issues included media’s need for “ready to use” information,<br />
some local media that charge publication of CSOs’ information and influence<br />
of local politics on media.<br />
THE MOST IMPORTANT DIGITAL<br />
COMMUNICATION TOOLS<br />
The most important digital communication tools for CSOs are Facebook pages, websites,<br />
personalized E-mail, YouTube, online newsletters and Instagram, followed by online<br />
surveys and petitions, Twitter, mobile apps, LinkedIn and blog posts. Only one organization<br />
uses the social network Vimeo and none of the CSOs advertise online or on<br />
social media.<br />
Table 8 Most important online communication tools<br />
Not<br />
Do not know<br />
important Not or cannot Very Most<br />
Online PR Tools at all important decide important important Ponder<br />
Web site 1% 1% 5% 29% 63% 4,51<br />
Facebook 2% 1% 5% 14% 77% 4,62<br />
Twitter 27% 17% 25% 16% 14% 2,74<br />
YouTube 11% 11% 20% 35% 23% 3,49<br />
LinkedIn 25% 24% 31% 15% 5% 2,5<br />
Instagram 20% 16% 19% 19% 26% 3,14<br />
Online newsletter 15% 15% 27% 24% 19% 3,17<br />
Personalized e-mail 4% 7% 13% 27% 49% 4,11<br />
Blog 30% 20% 30% 13% 7% 2,46<br />
On line surveys and petitions 17% 17% 28% 25% 13% 2,99<br />
Mobile app 28% 15% 30% 14% 14% 2,7<br />
On line and social<br />
media advertising 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0<br />
ADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA<br />
The biggest advantage of social media for CSOs is the promotion and raising awareness<br />
of their work and mission (92%), quick dissemination of information and direct<br />
communication with the public (71%), attracting new members/volunteers and their engagement<br />
(67%), advocating, opening a public debate on an issue and influencing public<br />
opinion (51% (more in Table 9).<br />
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532<br />
Table 9 Advantages of social media for CSOs<br />
Advantages of social media for CSOs %<br />
Promotion of the CSOs’ work, raising awareness of organisation’s work and mission 92%<br />
Rapid information dissemination, direct communication and co-operation with the public 71%<br />
Attracting new members/volunteers and their engagement 67%<br />
Advocating, opening a public debate on an issue and influencing public opinion 51%<br />
Creation of a more sensitive and better civil society 48%<br />
Fundraising 45%<br />
Improvement of transparency, management and accountability of CSOs 41%<br />
Finding partner organizations in joint projects 39%<br />
Information gathering and research 33%<br />
Lobbying and influencing the decision makers 30%<br />
The CSO representatives are aware of their insufficient knowledge of public relations<br />
and most (60%) participants need general education on public relations, followed<br />
by education in fundraising (55%), internet marketing and advertising (47%), marketing<br />
and advertising (45%), media relations (43%), content management of social media<br />
(43%); media training (33%), public speaking (30%), internal communication (25%),<br />
event management (21%) and writing (20%). All of this should help them improve the<br />
presentation of their mission and carry out their activities.<br />
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS<br />
Since a third of the CSOs are not satisfied with their visibility in society, rate their PR<br />
with 2,7, only 10% of them have both a communication strategy and a communication<br />
budget, and 16% have a spokesperson, we can conclude that hypothesis H1 — CSOs<br />
insufficiently use PR tools in their work, is confirmed.<br />
Hypothesis H2 — CSOs need PR education, is also confirmed, as 60% of them<br />
need general education in public relations, 55% in fundraising and 47% in online marketing<br />
and advertising.<br />
CSOs’ most important communication tools are web pages, e-mails, social media<br />
and various events, and they use them more frequently than traditional PR toolls.<br />
Hence the hypothesis H3 — online PR tools are taking over “traditional” PR tools<br />
among CSOs, is also confirmed.<br />
This research is one of the few on the topic of CSOs and their public relations in<br />
Croatia and it pointed out that CSOs do not use PR sufficiently to their full potential.<br />
As Dimitrov (2008, 37) states, communication is the secret weapon of resource-poor<br />
nonprofits. The elements for building their communication capacities are research,<br />
training and networking. Therefore, this research might raise CSOs’ awareness of the<br />
importance of public relations in their work. On the other hand, many CSO representatives<br />
do not have the knowledge and skills required to implement efficient public re-
B. Hajoπ, M. PopoviÊ: Public Relations of Civil Society Organizations in Croatia<br />
lations. Thus this research could help create a variety of specific PR related education<br />
models (workshops, seminars etc.) for the civil sector in Croatia. Better implementation<br />
of PR ultimately might result in the success of CSOs’ work (better communication with<br />
their publics, stronger interest of citizens and volunteers for their work, better relationship<br />
with media etc.). In the end, better PR of CSOs in the long run might result in the<br />
improvement of the whole society.<br />
References<br />
Andreasen, Alan R. & Kotler, Philip T. (2008). Strategic Marketing for Non-Profit Organizations,<br />
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.<br />
CIVICUS — World Alliance for Citizen Participation (2011). State of Civil Society 2011,<br />
Johannesburg, South Africa<br />
http://www.civicus.org/downloads/2011StateOfCivilSocietyReport/State_of_civil_society_2011-<br />
web.pdf<br />
Doniralica (2013). Social Media for Social Good — Survey on Social Media and Civil Society in<br />
Croatia http://www.deso.mk/GetFile.ashx?f=3&pd=412&pdf=3<br />
Durham, Sarah (2009). Brandraising: How Nonprofits Raise Visibility and Money Through Smart<br />
Communications, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.<br />
Feinglass, Art (2005). The public relations handbook for nonprofits. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.<br />
Grunig, James E; Hunt, Todd (1984). Managing Public Relations (6th ed.), Orlando, FL: Harcourt<br />
Brace Jovanovich.<br />
Grunig, L. A., Grunig, J. E. & Dozier, D. M. (2002). Excellent public relations and effective<br />
organizations: A study of communication management in three countries. Mahwah, NJ,<br />
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.<br />
Castells, Manuel (2008). The new public sphere: global civil society, communication networks, and<br />
global governance. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science,<br />
616(1), pp: 78-93.<br />
https://annenberg.usc.edu/sites/default/files/2015/04/28/The%20New%20Public%20Sphere.pdf<br />
Desse, Fabrice (2012). The Role and Structure of Civil Society Organizations in National and Global<br />
Governance Evolution and outlook between now and 2030, AUGUR Project — Challenges for<br />
Europe in the world in 2030 WP6; European Commission http://www.augurproject.eu/IMG/<br />
pdf/cso_note_provisional_draft5_june_2012.pdf<br />
Dimitrov, Roumen (2008). The strategic response: an introduction to non-profit communication.<br />
[Paper in special issue: The Third Sector and Communication. Third Sector Review Volume 14<br />
Issue 2 (2008)]<br />
Salamon, Lester M. S. W. S. a. A. (2004). Global Civil Society: Dimensions of the Nonprofit Sector,<br />
Kumarian Press.<br />
Salamon, Lester M. and Sokolowski, S. Wojciech (2016). Beyond Nonprofits: Reconceptualising the<br />
Third Sector, Voluntas (2016) 27, pp: 1515-1545. doi:10.1007/s11266-016-9726-z<br />
Tafra VlahoviÊ, Majda (2013). Building capacities of civil society organisations for effective media<br />
relations — Input for Strategy Paper, Regional Workshop “Connecting the Links — Capacities<br />
and Relations between CSOs and the Media”, TACSO, June 2013 https://slidex.tips/<br />
download/building-capacities-of-civil-society-organisations-for-effective-media-relations<br />
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Viterna, J., Clough, E. & Clarke, K. (2015). Reclaiming the “third sector” from “civil society”: A new<br />
agenda for development studies. Sociology of Development, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Spring 2015), pp.<br />
173-207 https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/viterna/files/soc_of_dev_2015.pdf<br />
WEF (World Economc Forum) (2013) The Future Role of Civil Society<br />
http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_FutureRoleCivilSociety_Report_2013.pdf<br />
Online References<br />
CIPR — Chartered Institute of Public Relations, What is PR? https://www.cipr.co.uk/content/policy/<br />
careers-advice/what-pr (accessed 15. 5. <strong>2018</strong>)<br />
534
Eva HORVÁTOVÁ<br />
IMPACT OF FINANCIAL CRISIS ON<br />
BANKING SECTORS IN WESTERN AND<br />
EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
Globalization and interconnectedness of economies and financial systems can cause<br />
the transmission of local crises to a global financial crisis (Cartwright, 2004, 18).<br />
These signals point to the need to use regulatory mechanisms that can promptly<br />
stimulate the real economy and financial markets, and prevent the negative consequences<br />
of such developments.<br />
Regulatory issues are at the forefront of financial theory and practice in the context<br />
of financial crisis. In this context, the issue of banking regulation represented by<br />
Basel III, as well as its interaction with the banking sector, the financial market and the<br />
real economy, is also particularly relevant.<br />
The role of regulation and supervision of the financial system is mainly to limit<br />
risks of financial intermediation and financial services.<br />
The primary task of regulation and supervision of banks is to ensure stability on<br />
the level of a banking system or internal stability on the level of individual banks.<br />
Ensuring stability of a banking system requires a number of conditions in macroeconomic<br />
and microeconomic approaches, business environment of financial institutions<br />
in the sense of sustainable economic growth and stability of financial institutions.<br />
The opinions of individual authors on the regulation vary. Some authors see the<br />
problem of banks in insufficient regulation; others stated that over-regulation could be<br />
a problem.<br />
For example, Stiglitz, J. (Stiglitz, 2010) states that “regulation can greatly contribute<br />
to the prevention of negative phenomena, but it may also be that an inadequate<br />
form, scope or method of regulation is a source of new crises.” Van Hoose raises the<br />
question of whether risk-based capital regulation really makes individual banks and the<br />
banking system as a whole “safer”. Relative growth of “capital cushion” can quickly dissipate<br />
if the banks do not respond by not holding the portfolios of risky asset classes<br />
or if they do not generate sufficient measures to evaluate the adverse selection or moral<br />
hazard. The author defends the idea that banks are portfolio managers, and that this<br />
approach gives qualified support for capital regulation.<br />
The interdependence of the development between the real economy and the financial<br />
sector needs to be analyzed from a number of perspectives. Individual regula-<br />
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tory acts have different specific objectives, but several measures are aimed at greater<br />
financial and banking stability and elimination of moral hazard (Freixas & Rochet, 1997,<br />
37).<br />
What is especially important is to look at the pro-cyclicality of regulation and the<br />
relationship between the economic cycle and the financial crisis, especially the influence<br />
of regulation on the cyclicality of the banking sector and real economy development.<br />
There are many models that focus on predicting financial crises or leading indicators.<br />
The financial crises can be predicted, but cannot be avoided; it is only possible to<br />
mitigate their impacts on the sectors of economy. The complexes of indicators for prediction<br />
of financial crises (for example, composite indicators that can predict the potential<br />
of negative economic development /Jakubíková, TkáËová, Bánciová, 2014/)<br />
have a special significance.<br />
According to Van Hoose (Van Hoose, 2007), the primary effect of any system of<br />
capital requirements is to change the leverage effect of the bank's portfolio, i.e. the ratio<br />
between capital and assets. It is clear that the result will be a change in the asset<br />
portfolio of the financial institution. Authors Koehn and Santomero (Koehn, Santomero,<br />
1980) point out that banks with a low aversion to risk had higher capital requirements<br />
but also a higher probability of bankruptcy. In that case, it is not possible to reduce the<br />
risk by regulation as subject to regulation is not the composition of assets.<br />
We have also been inspired by a research that addresses the relationship between<br />
capital and risk decision, behavior of banks, because this is a key link in regulation of<br />
capital, as the author points out the differences in behavior of banks according to selected<br />
characters. For example, according to Howarth and Quaglie (Howarth and Quaglie,<br />
2013, 115), clients of banks based in the countries that do not use the euro will<br />
prefer banks of the euro area. It should be more convenient for countries to join the<br />
Bank Union.<br />
The positive impact on capital may be found when the asymmetry of information<br />
(Gropp, Heider, 2010) suggests that large banks hold higher capital buffers to offset<br />
their increased complexity.<br />
1. BANKING UNION AND THE REGULATION OF<br />
BANKS AFTER THE FINANCIAL CRISIS<br />
The creation of the banking union was a response to the financial crisis of 2008. The<br />
financial crisis has shown that the previous regulation could not prevent bank failures<br />
and that excessive risk had not been adequately covered by capital requirements.<br />
An often discussed problem is a high level of pro-cyclicality of the bank regulation.<br />
Pro-cyclicality is defined as the “positive correlation” mechanism by which the financial<br />
system can amplify economic fluctuations and eventually worsen financial instability.<br />
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Appendix 1 of the document “Addressing pro-cyclicality financial system: a possible<br />
framework” sets out possible approaches and solutions in the field of prudential<br />
and financial reporting, which can be used to dampen pro-cyclicality of the financial<br />
system (BIS, 2008).<br />
Increased capital requirements are associated with the need to create additional<br />
income and with the expansion of banks' net interest margins. The growth of bank<br />
credits can generate positive externalities for the economy. Expecting these trends, we<br />
analyzed the impact of the financial crisis on banks in Western and Eastern European<br />
countries.<br />
The banking union emerged as a response to negative phenomena, such as the<br />
explosion of public debt in the euro area caused by a massive bail-out of banks<br />
through public finances, financial problems in Ireland, Greece, Spain and Cyprus, serious<br />
flaws in corporate governance in the banking sector and the attempt of interrupting<br />
the negative circuit between banks and governments.<br />
The specific content of the banking union (EC, <strong>2018</strong>) has three pillars: 1) the Single<br />
Supervisory Mechanism (SSM), the performance of which is entrusted to the European<br />
Central Bank (ECB), 2) Single Resolution Mechanism (SRM) and 3) Deposit Guarantee<br />
Scheme (DGS).<br />
The ECB, in cooperation with the national supervisors, supervises over 6000 banks<br />
in the euro area and in the countries involved in the mechanism on a voluntary basis.<br />
Banks' assets are approximately 3 times larger than EU GDP. The role of SRM is to propose<br />
a mechanism for the recapitalization of banks in case of their problems. The DGS<br />
does not have sufficient support from the member states. These pillars are legally supported<br />
by the Single Rulebook.<br />
A recently discussed problem is the duty of banks to create additional reserves to<br />
cover losses. The measures proposed by the EBA about the creation of the “eligible liabilities”<br />
(referred to as system MREL = Minimum Required Eligible Liabilities) that the<br />
banks have to hold. The new proposal foresees that banks will have to increase the<br />
amount of eligible liabilities in the form of an additional long-term debt.<br />
The problem may lie in the fact that the banks of Central and Eastern Europe will<br />
create the additional resources to a greater extent than banks in Western Europe, as<br />
the banks in Eastern Europe do not have the types of liabilities that may be recognized<br />
as eligible liabilities, but they have other forms of liabilities (not included in the eligible<br />
liabilities).<br />
Differentiation and identification of causes of systemic risk is the key to the choice<br />
of the instruments of regulation. Systemic risk is generally associated with two groups<br />
of problems: 1) changes in the structure of the balance sheets of individual banks and<br />
2) changes in the structure of the banking and financial system, as the concentration<br />
of capital and the emergence of conglomerates (Tarullo, 2014, Ren, 2011).<br />
The main factors of systemic risk are the pro-cyclicality in the credit market and<br />
the concentration of risks in interconnected markets (Viñals, 2011).<br />
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Despite the extensive research into systemic risk (Galati and Moessner, 2010), the<br />
approach to identifying it is not uniform. Partial aspects of systemic risk analysis focus<br />
on its manifestation of high volatility in markets, financial contagion, correlated exposures<br />
of financial institutions, the emergence of speculative bubbles in the asset market,<br />
loss of confidence and negative impacts on the real economy (Bisia et al., 2012).<br />
The ECB has adopted many measures to stimulate credit markets. This paper deals<br />
with the question of whether to stimulate markets manifested in the same way in Western<br />
European countries compared with CEE countries.<br />
538<br />
2. METHODOLOGY AND DATA<br />
Panel regression models have been compiled and they show the relationship between<br />
gross credits volumes on the one side and common equity, customer deposits, bank<br />
deposits, loan impairment charge, fixed assets and personnel expenses on the other<br />
side. Panel regression combines cross-sectional data over time. The informative value<br />
of it is higher in comparison to linear regression. The data structure is compiled to capture<br />
each bank (i) at the time (t). The cross-sectional dimension is expressed as “i”,<br />
which takes values from 1 to N, in our case the number of banks (72 banks from Germany<br />
and France and 43 banks of Central and Eastern European countries). The used<br />
observations were for the period 2000-2013. The advantage of panel regression is in<br />
the possibility to get a more accurate estimate of the parameters of a proposed model.<br />
Model Specification<br />
In the first step the panel regression model was used with the data at the individual<br />
banks level. The data was “balanced panel”, meaning the data for the same time<br />
period for each of the same banks without missing values.<br />
The basic model for panel regression is a linear model in shape<br />
y it = α it + b T it . x it + u it (1)<br />
where:<br />
i = 1,..., N = cross-sectional index,<br />
t = 1,...,T = time index,<br />
u it<br />
= random error.<br />
Component α it contains omitted observations, such as some bank characteristics<br />
that are not part of explanatory variables.<br />
In practice, two models are used: Fixed Effects Model and Random Effects Model.<br />
For the purpose of deciding which model is significant, we will use the Hausman<br />
test.<br />
Variables in the first panel regression model:<br />
Total_Assets<br />
= total volume of assets,<br />
Personnel_Expenses<br />
= personnel expenses,<br />
Bank_Deposits<br />
= bank deposits,<br />
Loan_Impairment_Charge = loan impairment charge,<br />
Fixed_Assets<br />
= fixed assets,
E. Horvátová: Impact of Financial Crisis on Banking Sectors in Western and Eastern...<br />
Customer_Deposits<br />
Common_Equity<br />
Pretax_Profit<br />
Net_Interest_Margin<br />
= customer deposits,<br />
= common equity, bank capital,<br />
= profit before tax,<br />
= net interest margin.<br />
The second model used was a linear regression model with the quarter data at the<br />
banking sector of Eurozone level. The descriptive statistics of the used indicators are<br />
in following table.<br />
The linear regression model has the form:<br />
y t = b 0 + b 1 x 1 + b 2 x 2 + ··· b k x k + u t (2)<br />
where:<br />
y t<br />
= the value of the observed variable<br />
b 0<br />
= constant — the absolute member of the regression model<br />
b 1 b k = model parameters<br />
x 1 x k = explanatory variables<br />
u t<br />
= random variable<br />
n<br />
= number of selection elements, number of observations<br />
Variables in the first model:<br />
CAPREZ<br />
= capital and reserves,<br />
CRED_MFI<br />
= microfinance credits,<br />
CRED_TOTAL_EUROZONE = total credit volumes in the Eurozone,<br />
DEBTSEC_GENGOV = debt securities of general government,<br />
DEBTSEC_TOTAL<br />
= debt securities total volumes,<br />
EXTERNAL_LIAB<br />
= external liabilities,<br />
FIXED_ASSETS<br />
=fixed assets.<br />
Table: Descriptive Statistics<br />
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation<br />
CAPREZ 41 1371089 2490001 2041738,80 362763,494<br />
CRED_MFI 41 4598347 6257695 5512193,68 455984,439<br />
CRED_TOTAL_EUROZONE 41 13943974 18599128 17114963,39 1155528,798<br />
DEBTSEC_GENGOV 41 1120106 1851239 1459971,44 233245,168<br />
DEBTSEC_TOTAL 41 3101158 4553054 4054020,46 496777,649<br />
DEPOS_TOTAL 41 12428758 17644085 16152034,56 1413099,605<br />
EXTERNAL_LIAB 41 2748160 4465205 3514984,95 469433,896<br />
FIXED_ASSETS 41 166519 232301 207554,83 15995,589<br />
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION<br />
The research is focused on the analysis of whether the stimulation of markets by ECB<br />
is manifested in the same way in Western European countries compared with CEE<br />
countries.<br />
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The analysis includes the banking sectors of Germany and France as the banking<br />
sectors of Western Europe and the rest is included into the analysis of the banking sector<br />
of Central and Eastern Europe.<br />
The panel regression was done in several alternatives.<br />
The first was the analysis of the whole sample of banks within one set for the period<br />
2008—2012. Then the banks were divided by countries, into German banks,<br />
French banks and the banks of CEE countries.<br />
The next step was the comparison of the results in several time periods; banks<br />
during the period 2000—2013 and during the period 2008—2013, in order to find out<br />
the differences in the period of financial crisis.<br />
Table 1 The results of the panel regression on a set of all banks<br />
(Germany, France and CEE countries) for the time period 2000—2013.<br />
Source: processing using data from BankScope.<br />
Type of Panel Regression Model Pooling Fixed Random<br />
Gross_Loans ~ Total_Assets + Personnel_Expenses + Bank_Deposits + Loan_Impairment_Charge +<br />
Fixed_Assets + Customer_Deposits + Common_Equity + Pretax_Profit + Net_Interest_Margin<br />
(Intercept) 174.505 174.505 262.683574<br />
*** (32.59) ***<br />
(32.59) (5.34) (33.517826)<br />
(5.34) (7.8371)<br />
Total_Assets -0.008263 -0.152142 -0.114287<br />
(0.046777) ** *<br />
(-0.1766) (0.052169) (0.046705)<br />
(-2.9164) (-2.4470)<br />
Personnel_Expenses 0.134176 0.142133 0.140092<br />
** ** **<br />
(0.048870) (0.051698) (0.047182)<br />
(2.7456) (2.7493) (2.9692)<br />
Bank_Deposits 0.091406 0.108539 0.103132<br />
. * *<br />
(0.05232) (0.05107) (0.047498)<br />
(1.7467) (2.1251) (2.1713)<br />
Loan_Impairment_Charge 0.023642 -0.107518 -0.078216<br />
(0.046164) (0.044387) .<br />
(0.5121) (-2.4223) (0.041439)<br />
(-1.8875)<br />
Fixed_Assets -0.013123 0.055752 0.046538<br />
(0.054631) (0.059587) (0.053792)<br />
(-0.2402) (0.9356) (0.8651)<br />
Customer_Deposits -0.034053 0.041470 0.025636<br />
(0.042289) (0.035584) (0.034056)<br />
(-0.8052) (1.1654) (0.7528)<br />
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Common_Equity 0.067220 -0.079089 -0.039375<br />
(0.054272) (0.063684) (0.056059)<br />
(1.2386) (-1.2419) (-0.7024)<br />
Pretax_Profit 0.172035 0.125060 0.125497<br />
*** ** **<br />
(0.048614) (0.046621) (0.043288)<br />
(3.5388) (2.6825) (2.8991)<br />
Net_Interest_Margin 0.035904 -0.124870 -0.050522<br />
(0.041081) . (0.053996)<br />
(0.8740) (0.072281) (-0.9357)<br />
(-1.7276)<br />
R-Squared 0.05192 0.074113 0.053311<br />
F-statistic 1.53204 4.22462 3.72294<br />
p-value 0.14535 2.8063e-05 0.00014541<br />
Hausman Test: data: Y ~ X; chisq = 20.32, df = 9, p-value = 0.01603;<br />
alternative hypothesis: one model is inconsistent.<br />
Values in parentheses are std. error and t-value and<br />
*** denotes statistical significance at the 1% level, ** at the 5% level and * at the 10% level.<br />
As first the set of all banks (Western European and Eastern European banks) was<br />
analyzed.<br />
Credits creation was in a positive relation with personnel expenses, bank deposits<br />
and pretax profit. Credits creation was in negative relation to total assets. Credits decreasing<br />
in the situation of increased assets can indicate that the procyclicality in the<br />
banking sector measured on the individual banks level was not overcome.<br />
Table 2 The results of the panel regression on a set of all banks<br />
(Germany, France and CEE countries) for the time period 2008—2012.<br />
Source: processing using data from BankScope.<br />
Type of Panel Regression Model Pooling Fixed Random<br />
Model: Gross_Loans ~ Total_Assets + Personnel_Expenses + Bank_Deposits + Loan_Impairment_Charge<br />
+ Fixed_Assets + Customer_Deposits + Common_Equity + Pretax_Profit + Net_Interest_Margin<br />
(Intercept) 182.6656518 257.705086<br />
*** ***<br />
(31.9344848) (32.69447)<br />
(5.7200) (7.8822)<br />
Total_Assets -0.0098929 -0.161528 -0.117654<br />
(0.0467799) ** *<br />
(-0.2115) (0.051648) (0.04647)<br />
(-3.1275) (-2.5315)<br />
Personnel_Expenses 0.1332729 0.140126 0.139588<br />
** ** **<br />
(0.0488860) (0.051702) (0.04715)<br />
(2.7262) (2.7103) (2.9605)<br />
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Bank_Deposits 0.1311388 0.071484 0.083371<br />
** . *<br />
(0.0413614) (0.041478) (0.038345)<br />
(3.1706) (1.7234) (2.1742)<br />
Loan_Impairment_Charge 0.0225504 -0.104221 -0.077091<br />
(0.0461765) * .<br />
(0.4884) (0.044333) (0.041367)<br />
(-2.3509) (-1.8636)<br />
Fixed_Assets -0.0132772 0.060633 0.046538<br />
(0.0546551) (0.059491) (0.053792)<br />
(-0.2429) (1.0192) (0.8651)<br />
Customer_Deposits -0.0261653 -0.023568 0.023724<br />
(0.0418257) (0.031132) (0.033906)<br />
(-0.6256) (-0.7570) (0.6997)<br />
Common_Equity 0.067220 -0.079089 -0.039375<br />
(0.054272) (0.063684) (0.056059)<br />
(1.2386) (-1.2419) (-0.7024)<br />
Pretax_Profit 0.1657752 0.149921 0.127436<br />
*** *** **<br />
(0.0483719) (0.043642) (0.043169)<br />
(3.4271) (3.4352) (2.9520)<br />
Net_Interest_Margin 0.0346363 -0.021345 -0.050574<br />
(0.0410870) (0.062579) (0.054023)<br />
(0.8430) (-0.3411) (-0.9362)<br />
R-Squared 0.049475 0.065665 0.052611<br />
F-statistic 3.87776 4.62726 4.13718<br />
p-value 0.00018009 5.0271e-05 7.9871e-05<br />
Hausman Test: data: Y ~ X; chisq = 20.32, df = 9, p-value = 0.01603;<br />
alternative hypothesis: one model is inconsistent.<br />
Values in parentheses are std. error and t-value and<br />
*** denotes statistical significance at the 1% level, ** at the 5% level and * at the 10% level.<br />
The analysis of the same set of banks during the changed period 2008—2012 has<br />
brought similar results in comparison with the period 2000—2013. The positive impact<br />
of bank deposits and the negative impact of loan impairment charge on the credits<br />
were highlighted.<br />
Table 3 The results of the panel regression on a set of banks in Germany and France<br />
for the time period 2008-2012. Source: processing using data from BankScope.<br />
Type of Panel Regression Model Pooling Fixed Random<br />
Model: Gross_Loans ~ Total_Assets + Personnel_Expenses + Bank_Deposits + Loan_Impairment_Charge<br />
+ Fixed_Assets + Customer_Deposits + Common_Equity + Pretax_Profit + Net_Interest_Margin<br />
(Intercept) 117.779785 159.15026<br />
*** ***<br />
(26.69073) (28.478771)<br />
(4.4128) (5.5884)<br />
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Total_Assets 0.018500 -0.125763 -0.0807680<br />
(0.05191) . (0.055297)<br />
(0.356) (0.06394) (-1.4606)<br />
(-1.9669)<br />
Personnel_Expenses 0.206085 0.308913 0.2656467<br />
** ** ***<br />
(0.06288) (0.09707) (0.07625)<br />
(3.2772) (3.1823) (3.4834)<br />
Bank_Deposits 0.019471 0.107217 0.0842960<br />
(0.05652) . (0.054143)<br />
(0.3444) (0.05923) (1.5569)<br />
(1.8102)<br />
Loan_Impairment_Charge 0.059450 -0.104649 -0.0642672<br />
(0.05971) . (0.0546281)<br />
(0.9956) (0.058885) (-1.1764)<br />
(-1.7772)<br />
Fixed_Assets -0.058884 0.031168 0.0076692<br />
(0.065969) (0.07776) (0.068438)<br />
(-0.8926) (0.4008) (0.1121)<br />
Customer_Deposits 0.033842 0.083562 0.0768712<br />
(0.05098) . .<br />
(0.6638) (0.04827) (0.045081)<br />
(1.7309) (1.7052)<br />
Common_Equity -0.038510 -0.111633 -0.0939415<br />
(0.060312) (0.078843) (0.066629)<br />
(-0.6385) (-1.4159) (-1.4099)<br />
Pretax_Profit 0.236968 0.144115 0.1592620<br />
*** * **<br />
(0.06328) (0.060058) (0.05610)<br />
(3.7443) (2.3996) (2.8385)<br />
Net_Interest_Margin 0.021240 -0.162762 -0.0815557<br />
(0.05281) . (0.0652232)<br />
(0.4021) (0.084587) (-1.2504)<br />
(-1.9242)<br />
R-Squared 0.07136 0.089501 0.067762<br />
F-statistic 3.41527 3.48416 3.23054<br />
p-value 0.00046153 0.00040009 0.00084636<br />
Hausman Test: data: Y ~ X; chisq = 20.32, df = 9, p-value = 0.01603;<br />
alternative hypothesis: one model is inconsistent.<br />
Values in parentheses are std. error and t-value and<br />
*** denotes statistical significance at the 1% level, ** at the 5% level and * at the 10% level.<br />
In the observed banks in Germany and France, the gross loans growth did not<br />
lead to a capital growth. It may signal that loans were low-risk.<br />
The credits growth was accompanied by the growth of profit.<br />
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The growth of assets did not contribute to the credits’ growth. On the basis of this,<br />
it could be assumed that other groups of assets (securities) contributed to the assets<br />
growth more.<br />
In the observed German and French banks, the credits growth and profit growth<br />
are significantly positive.<br />
In the observed German and French banks, the capital growth was not accompanied<br />
by a credit growth, which shows either that the loan was connected with a low<br />
risk, or, in the worst-case scenario, that pro-cyclicality in these banking sectors was<br />
present.<br />
Loans have contributed to the profit growth, which can be considered positive,<br />
because loans are the most yielding asset. Customer deposits are in a positive relation<br />
with the credits growth. The German and French banks have had positive results from<br />
deposits during the period of general decline in interest rates.<br />
Table 4 The results of the panel regression on a set of CEE countries banks<br />
during the time period 2008—2012.Source: processing using data from BankScope.<br />
Type of Panel Regression Model Pooling Between Fixed Random<br />
Gross_Loans ~ Total_Assets + Personnel_Expenses + Bank_Deposits + Loan_Impairment_Charge +<br />
Fixed_Assets + Customer_Deposits + Common_Equity + Pretax_Profit + Net_Interest_Margin<br />
(Intercept) 76.124773 110.1031 97.8471<br />
*** ** - ***<br />
(16.5582) (39.071231 (16.9426)<br />
(4.5974) (2.8180) (5.775)<br />
Total_Assets 76.124773 0.053081 -0.1713 -0.1691<br />
(16.558218) (0.3476) . .<br />
(4.5974) (0.1527) (0.0914) (0.0946)<br />
(-1.872) (-1.787)<br />
Personnel_Expenses 76.124773 -0.376280 0.06794 0.0726224<br />
(16.55821) . (0.05184) 0.0534927<br />
(4.5974) (0.18405) (1.3106) 1.3576<br />
(-2.044)<br />
Bank_Deposits 0.310172 1.550332 0.05633 0.0894130<br />
(0.20217) * (0.1408) 0.1489279<br />
(1.5342) (0.6679) (0.3998) 0.6004<br />
(2.3210)<br />
Loan_Impairment_Charge -0.145334 -0.263865 -0.1797 -0.1594<br />
* . ** *<br />
(0.06765) (0.1470) (0.06520) 0.0633384<br />
(-2.1481) (-1.795) (-2.757) -2.5172<br />
Fixed_Assets 0.295691 0.081632 0.0742040 0.1420154<br />
* (0.3563) (0.09743) 0.0981217<br />
(0.12295) (0.2291) (0.7616) 1.4473<br />
(2.4049)<br />
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Customer_Deposits -0.130963 -0.562514 -0.00935 -0.0369662<br />
. * (0.0448) 0.0474830<br />
(0.066633) (0.2407) (-0.208) -0.7785<br />
(-1.9654) (-2.336)<br />
Common_Equity 0.162771 -0.667489 -0.01173 0.0916669<br />
(0.2003) (0.62205) (0.1529) 0.1571501<br />
(0.8123) (-1.0730) (-0.076) 0.5833<br />
Pretax_Profit -0.024505 0.020192 0.0289510 -0.0070923<br />
(0.071636) (0.1517) (0.06776) 0.0662062<br />
(-0.3421) (0.1331) (0.4272) -0.1071<br />
Net_Interest_Margin -0.032117 0.061240 0.19935 -0.0142736<br />
(0.06784) (0.1244) (0.1590) 0.0944060<br />
(-0.4734) (0.4922) (1.2535) -0.1512<br />
R-Squared 0.29142 0.6419 0.1134 0.1085<br />
F-statistic 8.45391 5.7760 2.0899 2.50369<br />
p-value 1.5114e-10 0.000135 0.03386 0.01002<br />
Hausman Test: data: Y ~ X; chisq = 20.32, df = 9, p-value = 0.01603;<br />
alternative hypothesis: one model is inconsistent.<br />
Values in parentheses are std. error and t-value and<br />
*** denotes statistical significance at the 1% level, ** at the 5% level and * at the 10% level.<br />
Bank deposits are in a positive relation to the gross credits. Customer deposits<br />
were in a negative relation to the credit growth. Interbank market has had a positive<br />
role in the CEE countries. The loan impairment charge was in a negative relation to the<br />
credit growth; this can indicate a significant impairment level.<br />
In the next step we explored another set of data on the banking sector level using<br />
the linear regression model. The dependent variable was the total credit volume,<br />
the explanatory variables were capital and reserves, microfinance credits, debt securities<br />
of general government, and debt securities total volumes, external liabilities and<br />
fixed assets. The used stepwise model includes the variables according to the order of<br />
their highest significance.<br />
Table 5 The results of linear regression model. Source: processing using data from ECB.<br />
Unstandardized<br />
Coefficients<br />
Standardized<br />
Coefficients<br />
Signifi- Model<br />
B Std. Error Beta t-value cance R Square<br />
MODEL 1 0.831<br />
(Constant) 0.962 872833.4 5.815 .000<br />
DEPOS_TOTAL 0.976 0.054 0.912 13.845 .000<br />
MODEL 2 0.962<br />
(Constant) 0.976 500494.7 4.010 .000<br />
DEPOS_TOTAL 1.204 0.048 1.472 25.087 .000<br />
CAPREZ -2.125 .0187 0.667 -11.368 .000<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
MODEL 3 0.976<br />
(Constant) 1605458.3 414274.8 3.875 .000<br />
DEPOS_TOTAL 0.959 0.066 1.173 14.531 .000<br />
CAPREZ -1.692 0.178 -0.531 -9.486 .000<br />
FIXED_ASSETS 16.729 3.646 0.232 4.589 .000<br />
The linear regression model has shown, that the most significant variable for the<br />
total credit volumes explanation were the total deposits. Total deposits have had the<br />
positive impact on credits. Capital and reserves were in a negative relation to the<br />
credits growth and fixed assets were in positive relation to the credits growth.<br />
4. CONCLUSIONS<br />
At first we analyzed the complex of all banks (Western European and Eastern European<br />
banks).<br />
The gross loans creation has not supported the capital and total assets increasing.<br />
Pretax profit has a positive relationship with the creation of gross loans in the Western<br />
European countries (Germany and France). It points to the fact that pro-cyclicality of<br />
the banks in the dataset for the period 2000—2013 was not overcome. Net profit and<br />
bank deposits supported the creation of gross loans.<br />
In the set of banks of Germany and France, the gross loans growth did not lead<br />
to a capital growth and the capital growth is accompanied by a fall in profit. The<br />
growth of assets contributed to the capital growth. The used model shows that assets<br />
and customer deposits contributed to the profit creation.<br />
In the observed German and French banks, the growth of assets has not contributed<br />
to the credits growth, and the capital growth was not accompanied by a credit<br />
growth. Loans have contributed to the profit growth, which can be considered as positive,<br />
because loans are the most yielding asset. Customer deposits and bank deposits<br />
are positively related to the profit. There were positive impacts from the deposits holding<br />
during the period of a general decline in interest rates.<br />
It points to the fact that pro-cyclicality of the banks in this dataset for the period<br />
2000—2013 was not overcome and that support for anti-cyclicality in the regulation is<br />
the right way.<br />
The results of the linear regression model are consistent with the main panel regression<br />
results. The panel regression determined a more detailed result in the fact that<br />
customer deposits were significant in the countries of Western Europe, and in the Eastern<br />
European countries it was bank deposits.<br />
Acknowledgments<br />
The research was created in the framework of the OP R & D Project entitled “Creating<br />
an Excellent Center for Economic Research for the Challenge of Civilization Challenges<br />
in the 21st Century” (ITMS 26240120032) “We support research activities in Slovakia”/<br />
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E. Horvátová: Impact of Financial Crisis on Banking Sectors in Western and Eastern...<br />
the project is co-financed from EU sources, by the Slovak Science Foundation VEGA,<br />
project VEGA 1/0693/17, project MUNI/A/1092/2017 and project KEGA 030EU-4/2017.<br />
All support is greatly acknowledged.<br />
References<br />
Bisias, Dimitrios & Flood, Mark & Lo, Andrew W. & Valavanis, Stavros (2012). A Survey of Systemic<br />
Risk Analytics. U. S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Financial Research, No. 001,<br />
January 5, 2012. Available: https://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/wsr/ofr/Documents/<br />
OFRwp0001_BisiasFloodLoValavanis_ASurveyOfSystemicRiskAnalytics.pdf.<br />
BIS (2008). Addressing financial system procyclicality: a possible framework. Note for the FSF<br />
Working Group on Market and Institutional Resilience. September 2008. Available at:<br />
http://www.financialstabilityboard.org/wp-content/uploads/ r_0904e.pdf?page_moved=1<br />
EC (European Commission) (<strong>2018</strong>). Banking Union. [online, <strong>2018</strong>-11-18]. Available at:<br />
http://ec.europa.eu/finance/general-policy/banking-union/index_en.htm<br />
Freixas, Xavier & Jean-Charles Rochet (1997). Microeconomics of banking. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT<br />
Press, 1997. ISBN 02-620-6193-7.<br />
Galati, Gabriele & Moessner, Richhild (2011). Macroprudential policy — a literature review. BIS<br />
Working Papers No 337. Bank for International Settlements 2011. ISBN 1682-7678 (online).<br />
Cartwright, Peter (2004). Banks, consumers and regulation. Oxford: Hart Publishing, 2004, 258 p.<br />
ISBN 18-411-3483-X.<br />
Gropp, R., Heider, F. (2010). The determinants of bank capital structure. Review of Finance, vol.<br />
14(4): 587-622. https://doi.org/10.1093/rof/rfp030.<br />
Howarth, David & Lucia Quaglia (2013). Banking Union as Holy Grail: Rebuilding the Single Market<br />
in Financial Services, Stabilizing Europe's Banks and “Completing” Economic and Monetary<br />
Union. Journal of Common Market Studies [online]. 2013 (51/ S1): 103-123. ISSN 00219886.<br />
https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.12054. Retrieved: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/<br />
10.1111/%28ISSN%291468-5965/issues.<br />
Jakubíková Emília & Andrea TkáËová & Anna Bánociová (2014). Kompozitné predstihové indikátory<br />
hospodárskych cyklov krajín V4 a ich komparácia s CLI Eurostatu. (Translated: Composite<br />
Leading Economic Indicators of the V4 Economic Cycles and their Comparison with CLI<br />
Eurostat). Politická ekonomie, vol. 2014(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.18267/j.polek.946.<br />
Koehn, M., Santomero, A. (1980). Regulation of bank capital and portfolio risk. Journal of Finance,<br />
vol. 35, 1235-1244. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6261.1980.tb02206.x.<br />
Ren, Haocong (2011). Countercyclical Financial Regulation (October 1, 2011). World Bank Policy<br />
Research Working Paper No. 5823. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1938902.<br />
Stiglitz, J. (2010). Freefall. London: Pengium Group, 2010. ISBN 978-0-141-04512-2.<br />
Tarullo, Daniel K. (2014). Macroprudential Regulation, 31 Yale J. on Reg. (2014). Available at:<br />
https://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/yjreg/vol31/iss3/2<br />
VanHoose, David (2007). Theories of bank behavior under capital regulation. Journal of Banking &<br />
Finance 31: 3680-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbankfin.2007.01.015.<br />
Viňals, José (2011). The Do’s and Don’ts of Macroprudential Policy. The speech at European<br />
Commission and ECB Conference on Financial Integration and Stability<br />
Brussels, 2 May 2011. Available at: https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2015/09/28/04/<br />
53/sp050211.<br />
547
Dubravko KRAUS, Darija PR©A, Krasnodar PER©UN<br />
EVALUATION OF STUDENT<br />
COMPETENCES ACQUIRED AND<br />
DEVELOPED WHILE PARTICIPATING IN<br />
A MOBILITY PROGRAMME<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
Education has always been considered as one of the cornerstones of personal development,<br />
successful career, and a happy, social and stable life. Higher education institutions<br />
(HEIs) should enhance individual potential of their students and provide them<br />
with necessary knowledge, skills and competences that they will need in their future<br />
work environment. It is the responsibility of HEIs to develop quality curricula and define<br />
the key competence that students will gain for them to be competitive in the future,<br />
not only for their domestic labour market, but also for the international labour<br />
market. However, it takes a long time to adapt a curriculum and respond to the changing<br />
needs in the business sector and fail to anticipate or help shape the careers of tomorrow.<br />
The labour market is a dynamic “life form” so HEIs should adapt faster their<br />
curriculum, and with it, the competence their students gain at the end of their study.<br />
Due to the globalisation and migration process, HEIs have to take into account that<br />
knowledge, skills and competences they give their students have to suitable and applicable<br />
to the international labour market.<br />
2. COMPETENCE AND INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT<br />
Competences nowadays are essential in the context of education or the business sector.<br />
Educational programmes are focused on their development while selection recruitment<br />
procedures aim to choose the most competent individuals for the job.<br />
Competences refer to an individual's ability to perform certain tasks adequatlyand<br />
efficiently in accordance with the expectations that experts in a particular field have<br />
(Kaslow, 2004). In addition to the above definition, there are many others; Kurtz and<br />
Bartram (2002) warn that competences should not be defined as something an individual<br />
possesses, but as behaviours that manifest themselves, and define them as behavioural<br />
repertoires that are instrumental to achieving desired results and outcomes.<br />
Croatian Agency for Science and Higher Education states that term competence<br />
represents a dynamic combination of cognitive and metacognitive skills, knowledge<br />
and understanding, interpersonal, intellectual and practical skills and ethical values.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Fostering these competences is the object of all educational programmes. Competences<br />
are developed in all course units and assessed at different stages of a programme.<br />
Some competences are subject-area related (specific to a field of study), while others<br />
are generic (common to any degree course). It is normally the case that competence<br />
development proceeds in an integrated and cyclical manner throughout a programme.<br />
In 2006, the European Parliament and the Council adopted the Recommendation<br />
on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning. It contributed to the development of quality,<br />
future-oriented education and training tailored to the needs of European society.<br />
The European Commission works with EU countries to strengthen “key competences”<br />
— knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed by all for personal fulfilment and development,<br />
employability, social inclusion and active citizenship.<br />
These key competences include:<br />
— literacy and languages;<br />
— maths, science and engineering;<br />
— digital competence;<br />
— personal, social and learning competence;<br />
— civic competence;<br />
— entrepreneurship;<br />
— link to another EC website; and<br />
— cultural awareness and expression.<br />
All key competencies are equally important as each of them can contribute to a<br />
successful life in a knowledge society.<br />
HEIs around the world recognize the importance of gaining competences through<br />
international mobility and therefore have already adapted or are in a constant process<br />
of adapting their curriculum to it. To gain international competences and values, the<br />
HEIs have decided to take part in different mobility programmes. There are many mobility<br />
programmes in which students, professors and staff members can take part and<br />
in that way improve and gain new knowledge, skills and competences. Some of the<br />
best-known programmes are: Erasmus+, Fulbright Program, CEEPUS, Bilateral International<br />
Agreements, AIESEC, DAAD, Free Mover, etc.<br />
In today's educational context, HEIs should be aware of the demands of the labour<br />
market. Through the process of globalization, the economy opens in unpredictable<br />
ways and opportunities for development of a business company can be enhanced<br />
by employing skilled workers. HEIs are aware that they need to constantly adapt and<br />
improve their study programmes with lectures, exercise that will provide students with<br />
competences for the business sector. This is important for students so that they can stay<br />
competitive at the current and the future labour market. Considering the fact that more<br />
and more companies are trying to expand their business to the international market,<br />
the need for educated staff with international experience is increasing. One of the ways<br />
for HEIs to meet this need for student international mobility is to include mobility period<br />
in students’ study programme. The advantages of international education in today's<br />
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D. Kraus, D. Prπa, K. Perπun: Evaluation of Student Competences Acquired and Developed...<br />
globalized world are multiple. The education that includes international dimension<br />
through which students get a new skill set and competences provides them with bigger<br />
opportunities of being successfully recruited on the global labour market and can<br />
lead to building an international business career.<br />
The presence of foreign students in HEIs, home university students undertaking a<br />
mobility period at international universities or doing internship in international companies<br />
helps all included to understand the needs of the international market and thus<br />
helps their development through faster and better adaptability. The experience of internationalization<br />
of education suggests that institutions and companies have their own<br />
benefits through increased revenue, branding, international exposure and the implementation<br />
of practical experience thus strengthening their academic, research and global<br />
positions. Countries that support internationalization of education also achieve benefits<br />
like better political and diplomatic relations, stimulation of the economy and contributions<br />
to interconnectedness and understanding foreign cultures and customs and<br />
therefore international workforce.<br />
3. ACADEMIC MOBILITY<br />
Academic mobility programmes provide students with an opportunity to study in a different<br />
country and environment experiencing the history and culture of another country.<br />
By participating in a mobility programme, students gain a chance to experience different<br />
styles of education and work environment. Mobility is not only a positive experience<br />
for personal development of an individual but also has an impact on HEIs. Mobility<br />
provides students with the opportunity to get new competences, which generally<br />
contributes to a better employability of students and development of international<br />
cooperation between individuals, HEIs and the business sector.<br />
Student mobility can exist in any educational discipline. To ensure quality mobility,<br />
activities a mobility activity offers have to be compatible with the student’s degreerelated<br />
learning and personal development needs.<br />
Students take part in mobility programme either<br />
— as xchange programme students with wide range of actions that include education,<br />
research, work placement, international projects etc. Students within<br />
these programmes can obtain financial support and recognition of mobility;<br />
— as free mover students who travel to study or work on their own initiative and<br />
cover overall costs by themselves; and<br />
— in intensive / short stay education programmes by which students can gain a<br />
specific skill set or competence.<br />
As mentioned, there are many international mobility programmes that provide students<br />
with the possibility to study abroad at a foreign HEI or in a company to incorporate<br />
an international dimension to their university training. The most well-known<br />
mobility programmes, for example Erasmus+, CEEPUS, Fulbright, enable participants to<br />
achieve mobility in all countries of the world. Students can also benefit by participat-<br />
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ing in programmes that are organized by one of the international organizations such as<br />
AIESEC, IAESTE, ESN, etc. These organizations provide exchange students and young<br />
people with education, work and leadership development, cross-cultural global internships,<br />
and volunteer exchange experiences across the globe.<br />
In the report The Professional Value of ERASMUS Mobility (Bracht, Engel, Janson,<br />
Over, Schomburg, Teichler, 2006), it is stated that employers believe that internationally<br />
experienced young graduates have clearly higher competences than those without<br />
any international experience. International experience notably seems to reinforce<br />
adaptability, initiative, the ability to plan and assertiveness. Additionally, former mobility<br />
students rate their competences at time of their graduation as high in many aspects:<br />
academic knowledge, foreign languages and various dimensions work attitudes and<br />
work styles.<br />
When reviewing various conducted research and studies related to mobility of students,<br />
we can conclude that mobile students tend to be in a somewhat better situation<br />
than non-mobile students regarding the issues of job search. Most of the research suggests<br />
that former mobility students are more likely to be willing to have and international<br />
career and are ready to change country of their work in the course of their career.<br />
On top of that, most business responders believe that former mobility students are<br />
more likely to take over work assignments with visible international components.<br />
4. EVALUATION OF STUDENT COMPETENCES<br />
For the purpose of the work, a survey was carried out on a sample of 50 students that<br />
had taken part in mobility programme in selected Mediterranean countries. Students’<br />
age ranged from 19 to 29. The sample included 34 (68%) female and 16 (32%) male<br />
students. The type of research was a survey with open-ended questions and multiple<br />
choices. The survey was conducted in the academic year 2017/18. The countries where<br />
students went for their mobility period are presented in Table 1.<br />
Table 1 (Source: Research of authors)<br />
Country Spain France Italy Portugal Turkey Slovenia Total<br />
Number of participants 16 12 10 6 4 2 50<br />
In terms of the time spent on student exchanges, the results are visible in Table 2.<br />
Table 2 Length of stay on mobility period (in months) (Source: Research of authors)<br />
Length of stay in months 0-3 3-6 6-9 9-12 Total<br />
Number of participants 8 35 5 2 50<br />
Most students take part in mobility in duration of 3-6 months. The reason for that<br />
is that students mostly go for faculty/academic exchange mobility for a periodof 1 semester.<br />
Duration of mobility for internship is mostly 3 months.<br />
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D. Kraus, D. Prπa, K. Perπun: Evaluation of Student Competences Acquired and Developed...<br />
According to the survey, students achieved maximum mobility numbers through<br />
the Erasmus+ programme. The reason for that is the fact that the Erasmus+ programme<br />
is the most popular programme in Europe. Display of the results on type of mobility is<br />
presented in Table 3.<br />
Table 3 Breakdown of participants by mobility programme (Source: Research of authors)<br />
Erasmus+ AIESEC Bilateral exchange CEEPUS Other Programmes<br />
43 5 1 1 0<br />
Tables 4. and 5. show the competences which students acquired during mobility<br />
period.<br />
Table 4 Participants’ opinion about what they had learned during mobility period<br />
(Source: Research of authors)<br />
Through my stay abroad<br />
Stayed<br />
I learned better how to...: Improved the same Decreased<br />
Cooperate in teams 79.86% 12.04% 8.10%<br />
Develop an idea and put it into practice 69.91% 26.16% 3.94%<br />
Express myself creatively 76.16% 19.91% 3.94%<br />
Find solutions in difficult or challenging contexts<br />
(problem-solving skills) 86.34% 11.57% 2.08%<br />
Plan and carry out my learning independently 85.88% 14.12% 0.00%<br />
Plan and organise tasks and activities 81.71% 16.20% 2.08%<br />
See the value of different cultures 97.92% 2.08% 0.00%<br />
Think logically and draw conclusions (analytical skills) 74.07% 21.99% 3.94%<br />
Use the internet, social media and PCs ,<br />
e.g. For my studies, work and personal activities 73.61% 26.39% 0.00%<br />
Table 5 Participants’ opinion about competences which they had achieved by taking part in<br />
student mobility after the mobility period had finished (Source: Research of authors)<br />
After having taken part<br />
Stay<br />
in mobility activity...: Improvement the same Decrease<br />
I am more able to adapt to and act in new situations 93.98% 6.02% 0.00%<br />
I am more able to cooperate with people<br />
from other backgrounds and cultures 93.98% 6.02% 0.00%<br />
I am more able to reach decisions 86.11% 13.89% 0.00%<br />
I am more able to think and analyse information critically 81.94% 18.06% 0.00%<br />
I am more aware of social and political concepts<br />
like democracy, justice, equality, citizenship, civil rights 72.22% 23.84% 3.94%<br />
I am more confident and convinced of my abilities 91.90% 8.10% 0.00%<br />
I am more interested in knowing what happens<br />
in the world daily 76.16% 21.99% 1.85%<br />
I am more open-minded and curious about new challenges 92.13% 6.02% 1.85%<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
I am more tolerant towards other persons' values<br />
and behaviour 88.43% 7.64% 3.94%<br />
I have increased my sector- or field-specific skills 81.94% 18.06% 0.00%<br />
I intend to participate more actively in social and<br />
political life of my community 63.43% 30.79% 5.79%<br />
I know better my strengths and weaknesses 87.73% 12.27% 0.00%<br />
Results show that students estimate the growth and development of their competences<br />
during the mobility period from 63% to 94%, depending on the area. It is evident<br />
from student’s responses that students have mostly made progress in the area of<br />
personal development and in the development of competences. Once put in an international<br />
environment they had to adapt to new surroundings and new life situations<br />
by being open minded. They had to work in multicultural teams and solve new sorts<br />
of challenges. Due to the fact they were now learning or working in international environment,<br />
they had to adapt their personal values and behaviour so that they could<br />
achieve the best possible results. By participating in a mobility programme students become<br />
aware of their current strengths and weaknesses in international surroundings.<br />
Once put in new surroundings, students realize that they have the possibility to acquire<br />
and develop new and current knowledge and skills for their future business career and<br />
that is an advantage they want to exploit.<br />
It is evident that in some areas mobility participants have remained at the same<br />
level of knowledge and skills, but this is to be expected as the time for mobility period<br />
is limited and it is not possible to achieve development of all competences in all areas<br />
in a limited period of time. By looking at the results, we can also conclude that<br />
some students and their competences stayed on the same level or have even decreased.<br />
The reason for that is that students are developing in various fields and do not necessary<br />
develop all competences that were examined in the survey.<br />
5. CONCLUSION<br />
The international dimension has become an important part of all study programmes of<br />
a HEI. In today’s globalized world, HEIs that have mobility programmes incorporated<br />
into their study produce more competitive students for labour market. Mobility programmes<br />
are assessed positively by all of those that took part in them (students, HEIs<br />
and businesses). This is important because all involved can learn during one mobile<br />
period — students can acquire new skills and knowledge, new international surrounding,<br />
work possibilities etc.; HEIs can faster determine what competences are needed<br />
for students’ future needs by collaborating with international partner HEIs or companies<br />
which can recruit international students. This research shows that most students<br />
believe that they benefited from their mobility period and their competences have risen.<br />
As previously stated, students believe that they gained new skills and knowledge<br />
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D. Kraus, D. Prπa, K. Perπun: Evaluation of Student Competences Acquired and Developed...<br />
that will help them in future business career. By taking part in mobility programmes,<br />
students also gain perspective to international dimension and can see what is expected<br />
at international labour market and that way can prepare for it.<br />
References<br />
Agency for Science and Higher Education (<strong>2018</strong>). COMPETENCES. Available at<br />
https://www.azvo.hr/en/component/seoglossary/6-quality-assurance-and-accreditationglossary-basic-terms-and?Itemid=712<br />
Bracht, O., Engel, C., Janson, K., Over, A., Schomburg, H. & Teichler, U. (2006). The professional<br />
value of ERASMUS mobility. Kassel, Germany: International Centre for Higher Education<br />
Research, University of Kassel.<br />
European Commission (2006). Recommendation 2006/962/EC of European Parlament and of the<br />
Council on key competences for lifelong learning. Available at Official Journal of the<br />
European Union: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32006H0962&from=EN<br />
Hadiyanto, H. (2010). The Development of Core Competencies at Higher Education: A Suggestion<br />
Model for Universities in Indonesia. Educare: International Journal for Education Studies, 3(1).<br />
Available at<br />
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319543684_The_Development_of_Core_Competencies_at_<br />
Higher_Education_A_Suggestion_Model_for_Universities_in_Indonesia<br />
Hunjet, A., Kozina, G. & KureËiÊ, P. (2015, April 9-10). The Role of Higher Education Institutions in<br />
the Development of Entrepreneurship Competences on the Study Programs Other than<br />
Economy. In Vrankic, I., Kozina G., Kovsca, V., Paper presented at 9th Economic and Social<br />
Development Conference Proceedings: Economic and Social Development, Istanbul, Turkey<br />
(620-630). Varaædin: Varaædin Development and Entrepreneurship Agency and University<br />
North.<br />
Kaslow, N. J. (2004). Competencies in professional psychology. American Psychologist, 59(8), 774-<br />
-781. Available at from http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2004-20395-022<br />
Komar, Z. (2010). Dialectical Thought as a Possible Constituent of a Pedagogical Approach to<br />
Competence. Pedagogijska istraæivanja, 7(2), 269-278. Available at https://hrcak.srce.hr/118100<br />
Kurtz, R. & Bartram, D. (2008). Competency and Individual Performance: Modelling the World of<br />
Work. In T. I. Robertson, M. Callinan, & D. Bartram, Organizational effectiveness: The role of<br />
psychology (227-255).<br />
SuziÊ, N. (2014). Competencies for living in the 21 st century and educational aims of students.<br />
Pedagogijska istraæivanja, 11(1), 111-121. Available at https://hrcak.srce.hr/139584<br />
Tăusan, L. (2014). “Education For All” — A Dimension of Education in the 3rd Millennium.<br />
Procedia — Social and Behavioral Sciences, 319-324. Available at<br />
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042813013359<br />
555
Sanda MARJANOVI∆, Nikolina BOR»I∆, Mara PEKEZ<br />
COMMUNICATION IN FOREIGN<br />
LANGUAGES AND HIGHER<br />
EDUCATION CURRICULUM FOR<br />
THE STUDY OF TOURISM AND<br />
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
The topic of the paper is the analysis of the Croatian academic discourse on the subject<br />
of foreign language learning at higher education institutions with tourism education<br />
programmes in the Republic of Croatia and the analysis of all the curricula of the<br />
study of tourism and hospitality industry in Croatia. As a member of the EU, the Republic<br />
of Croatia has committed itself by signing the Bologna Declaration and by adopting<br />
the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education<br />
Area (AZVO, www.azvo.hr) to a continuous quality development of higher education<br />
(ZajedniËki europski okvir za jezike, 2005). The aforementioned document on<br />
the quality of education also includes cross-border cooperation, i.e. student, teaching<br />
and non-teaching exchanges between European higher education institutions. One of<br />
the key preconditions for mobility is the knowledge of foreign languages. According to<br />
all of the above, this paper starts from the assumption that the subject of foreign language<br />
learning is a common topic of academic discourse on a higher education level.<br />
The subject of the paper is therefore the topic analysis of Croatian academic discourse<br />
on the subject of foreign language learning in correlation with tourism studies.<br />
This paper consists of three parts. The first, theoretical, part comprises short explanations<br />
of the basic terminology. The central and main part of the paper offers a<br />
more detailed description of the research, starting with a methodological explanation<br />
and leading to the presentation and discussion about the research results. The paper<br />
ends with a conclusion containing a generalised view of the analysis results and guidance<br />
for further research.<br />
2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK<br />
2.1. The importance of foreign language in the education<br />
According to Sindik & BoæinoviÊ (2013), the knowledge of foreign languages provides<br />
the ability of developing the intercultural competence as a basis for successful commu-<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
nication in the tourism industry. In this regard, the intercultural competence has a strategic<br />
importance without development of an intercultural dialogue. The language policy<br />
supported by the Council of Europe promotes teaching and learning of several foreign<br />
languages in the European educational context. In accordance with the Common<br />
European Framework of Reference for Languages (ZajedniËki europski okvir za jezike,<br />
2005), it was proposed that EU citizens should be proficient in three European languages,<br />
their mother tongue (L1) and two other community languages, to ensure multilingualism<br />
as an essential characteristic feature of European identity (Cafuk et. al., 2015).<br />
According to the European Parliament and the European Council, communicating<br />
in a foreign language is one of the eight core competencies required for life-long learning<br />
in today's knowledge society (KOM 1995; KOM 2003; KOM 2005; KOM 2008). In<br />
Croatia, as in other EU countries, there is a lot of discussion about foreign language<br />
proficiency, and much can be written on reasons and importance of learning foreign<br />
languages (Vilke, 2007). Primary motivating factor for learning foreign languages is<br />
most certainly employment.<br />
Investment in quality knowledge, which implies a quality investment in studying<br />
foreign languages, certainly means having a quality partner in the job market. The value<br />
of foreign language proficiency is priceless, and should as such, be recognizable as<br />
early as at the elementary and secondary school level, and later on at the level of institutions<br />
of higher education (KneæeviÊ & ©enjug Golub, 2015). As an example, in 2012<br />
The Education and Training Agency, in cooperation with the Instituto Italiano di Cultura,<br />
the Institut Francais Zagreb, the Cervantes Institute and the Goethe Institute, organized<br />
a Conference on multilingualism under the title “Multilingualism: from EU policy<br />
to classroom”. The conference was dedicated to the educational-political aspects of<br />
multilingualism. Encouraging learning a second and even third foreign language in the<br />
educational process was proposed as a prerequisite for intercultural dialogue and a successful<br />
economic development and market competitiveness (Medved KrajnoviÊ & Letica,<br />
2009). Although Croatia by its standards is at the top of the EU, it is still not enough<br />
and it is necessary to increase the foreign language teaching curricula in Croatian<br />
schools (MihaljeviÊ DjigunoviÊ & BagariÊ, 2007; MihaljeviÊ DjigunoviÊ, 2009).<br />
2.2. Interaction of knowledge and the study of<br />
Tourism and Hospitality Industry<br />
The process of integration of the EU Member States is directly related to the development<br />
of education at national levels and to cooperation in education at a common, European<br />
level (www.study.eu). The key prerequisite for the development of co-operation<br />
at the European level of education was to set certain quality frameworks for education,<br />
common to all Member States. Accordingly, some documents at the EU level define<br />
and strengthen the role of the University in promoting the mobility of citizens of<br />
the Union, both for education and for employment purposes (JelovËiÊ, 2008).<br />
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Considering the vast importance of tourism and hospitality industry for the economic<br />
prosperity of Croatia and its people, increasingly our hope for the future, hospitality<br />
management representatives have to strive to assure customer satisfaction, as<br />
the best way to assure profits (Song et al., 2012). At the same time, young people interested<br />
in maximizing their chances of being employed in this prosperous, yet highly<br />
competitive field have to be adequately trained to succeed in the global hospitality market<br />
place. Knowledge of foreign languages is also an important key towards success in<br />
tourism, because languages are the basic tool in making guests feel at home. Since the<br />
topic of this article is education and tourism, we wanted to investigate the awareness<br />
of the importance of foreign languages in relation to Higher Education in the field of<br />
Tourism and Hospitality Industry in Croatia. The investigation focused on two areas;<br />
first, within academic publishing and second, as a part of curricula.<br />
3. RESEARCH<br />
The purpose of this paper is to explore and describe the representation of articles on<br />
the prevalence of foreign languages in the higher education curricula in Croatia and<br />
the analysis of studies published in Croatian scientific journals on the relationship between<br />
foreign languages and the curriculum of the study of tourism and hospitality industry.<br />
Taking into consideration that is crucial for the development of Croatia, foreign<br />
languages are supposed to be an important part of the curriculum but also an important<br />
part of scientific awareness.<br />
The research problem is the connection between the Croatian language policy<br />
and tourism needs and its correlation to scientific publishing about this connection. In<br />
order to provide answers regarding the problems, we set the following research questions:<br />
1. How is the topic of the connection between the Croatian language policy and<br />
tourism needs described in Croatian scientific and professional articles?<br />
2. How are foreign languages included in higher education curricula for the study<br />
of tourism and hospitality industry?<br />
In our research we used quantitative methods as follows:<br />
a. qualitative content analysis of higher education curricula for the study of tourism<br />
and hospitality industry, available on web sites and<br />
b. qualitative content analysis of scientific and professional articles on the relationship<br />
between foreign languages and the curricula of the study of tourism and<br />
hospitality industry in Croatia between 2000 and <strong>2018</strong>, published between 2005<br />
and 2016 in Croatian journals<br />
3.1. Findings and discussion<br />
The first part of the study shows the prevalence of foreign languages in the higher education<br />
curricula. The research of scientific and professional articles published in Croatian<br />
journals over the last ten years was carried out by reviewing the following data-<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
bases: HrËak and Google Scholar, in the period from 2000 till <strong>2018</strong>. The aforementioned<br />
databases were used because of their availability to the researchers who have<br />
access only to open Internet databases. Therefore, the results are symptomatic and refer<br />
to the mentioned databases.<br />
After reading article summaries and the articles themselves, we selected a total of<br />
six articles, which are available in an electronic format, as shown in Table 1. An analysis<br />
of the content of the articles was conducted according to the following variables:<br />
author, whether foreign languages in the higher education curricula are the main or a<br />
secondary subject of the article, the journal in which the article was published, the language<br />
of the article, article title, article topic and the month and year of publication of<br />
the article.<br />
Table 1 Scientific and professional articles published in Croatian journals<br />
Journal/publication Number of articles Type of articles Main/secondary topic<br />
TRANZICIJA /TRANSITION 6 4 scientific 4 main<br />
Acta turistica nova 2 professional 2 secondary<br />
Tourism and hospitality management<br />
Metodika : Ëasopis za teoriju i praksu<br />
metodikâ u predπkolskom odgoju,<br />
πkolskoj i visokoπkolskoj izobrazbi<br />
Hrvatski znanstveno struËni skup o<br />
menadæmentu u turizmu i sportu<br />
According to the abovementioned analysis, it can be concluded that the topic of<br />
foreign languages in the tourism’s curricula is the most relevant for the journals in the<br />
field of tourism and education (Tourism and hospitality management, Metodika) which<br />
is expected because communication in foreign languages is one of the most important<br />
competences of the study of Tourism and Hospitality industry. Regarding the language<br />
of the articles, four texts are in Croatian, and two articles were published both in Croatian<br />
and English. From this analysis it is possible to conclude that no author in the last<br />
decade was specialized in the scientific research of the needs of this competence in<br />
curricula but also of the importance of the knowledge of foreign language in the field<br />
of tourism and hospitality.<br />
The analysed articles indicate the following topic thesis:<br />
1. The proficiency in multiple foreign languages is a basic prerequisite for successful<br />
communication in the tourism industry, as well as for mutual understanding<br />
among students involved in the exchange programmes at different universities,<br />
especially in foreign countries.<br />
2. The students — future managers — must master forms of oral and written communication<br />
in at least two foreign languages which are important for their future<br />
job. However, what makes this course within the study of tourism stand<br />
out from traditional business language courses is the systematic education of<br />
students in culture and civilisation with a view to encouraging and developing<br />
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S. MarjanoviÊ, N. BorËiÊ, M. Pekez: Communication in Foreign Languages...<br />
openness to other cultures, and preparing them for successful intercultural communication.<br />
3. The importance of the investigation into the extent to which employees in the<br />
field of tourism and hospitality industry value the importance of foreign languages,<br />
especially the language for specific purposes in their everyday work.<br />
The analysis of the content has pointed out that most of the articles were generally<br />
orientated in the field of foreign languages in curricula, which is a sign of still insufficient<br />
knowledge regarding the importance of foreign languages in academic education<br />
in Croatia. Finally, the research has shown that European language policies towards<br />
teaching at least two foreign languages has insignificant impact on the professional<br />
and scientific research of the relationship between foreign languages and the<br />
curriculum of the study of tourism and hospitality industry in Croatia.<br />
3.2. The current Status of Study of Foreign Languages<br />
at Institutions of Higher Education<br />
The goal of the paper was to analyse the current status of learning foreign languages<br />
at institutions of higher education in Croatia. To that end, we chose the curricula at the<br />
institutions of higher education in Croatia that offer Tourism programmes, and we analysed<br />
the syllabus focusing on foreign language instruction. Most institutions of higher<br />
education are organized according to the process described per the Bologna Declaration,<br />
while for example Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Zagreb,<br />
Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Split, Rochester Institute<br />
of Technology Croatia and Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management Opatija/SC<br />
Zabok — University of Rijeka offer a 4-year baccalaureate degree.<br />
The following institutions of higher education were covered in this thesis: ASPI-<br />
RA-University College in— Zagreb & Split, Edward Barnays University College Zagreb,<br />
Libertas International University in Zagreb & Dubrovnik, VERN — University of Applied<br />
Sciences in Zagreb, RIT — Rochester Institute of Technology Croatia in Zagreb & Dubrovnik,<br />
the Polytechnic in ©ibenik, Virovitica College, the Polytechnic of Meappleimurje in<br />
»akovec, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Opatija/SC Zabok — University<br />
of Rijeka, Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Zagreb, Faculty<br />
of Economics and Business at the University of Split, the University of Dubrovnik.<br />
We can conclude/see that foreign language is mostly a required course and is part<br />
of the 1st and 2nd year curriculum, and, at some institutions of higher education, even<br />
3rd year curriculum. In some institutions of higher education (e.g. ASPIRA — University<br />
College), a third foreign language is offered already in the 2nd year of study, which<br />
continues through the 3rd year of study, as seen in Table 2.<br />
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Table 2 Institution of higher education and the foreign language status<br />
Study Language/Semester Hours and ECTS<br />
ASPIRA — University College — Zagreb & Split<br />
• Undergraduate Professional 1st SEM: BE1 1, BAS GER / BAS ITAL 1 No Information<br />
Study programme of 2nd SEM: BE 2, BAS GER / BAS ITAL 2 available on the<br />
International Hospitality and 3rd SEM BE 3 as BFL 1, BFL2 Internet<br />
Tourism Management 4th SEM BE 4, BFL 2 web sites<br />
• Undergraduate Gastronomy 5th & 6th SEM BFL as an elective course<br />
study<br />
International University of Rijeka/Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management<br />
(FTHM) Opatija/SC Zabok (only part-time study)<br />
• 1. undergraduate University 1st SEM: EFL 30 hours and<br />
Study Management in Tourism 2nd SEM: EFL, BAS GFL, IFL 3 ECTS<br />
(4 years) 3rd SEM: EFL, GFL, IFL per semester<br />
• 2. Undergraduate University 4th SEM: FSL, ESL,GSL, ISL<br />
Study Management in Hospitality 5th SEM: ESL A2, FSL A2, GSL A2, ISL A2<br />
(4 years) — Health tourism — elective<br />
• 2. Graduate Study<br />
— Français gastronomique<br />
— Tourism marketing 6th SEM: IFL A1/A2, GFL A1/A2, FSL A1/A2<br />
— Tourism Management — elective<br />
— Hospitality Management 1st SEM<br />
— Sustainable Tourism — English for Academic Purposes-elective/<br />
Development<br />
is not held every academic year<br />
• 3. Postgraduate doctoral — no foreign languages<br />
and specialist studies<br />
This is commendable and shows the importance of continued foreign language instruction.<br />
Another excellent example is the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management<br />
Opatija/SC Zabok. The students there study their first foreign language at B1 level<br />
in the 2nd and 3rd semester while they also study a second foreign language in the<br />
4th and 5th semester at the A1/A2 level. In the 6th semester, students are offered a third<br />
foreign language as an elective course and a major requirement course in three foreign<br />
languages (Croatia as a tourist destination; Kroatien als Tourismusdestination; La Croazia<br />
come destinatione turistica). In the 7th and 8th semester students are offered a major<br />
elective course in three languages (Business communication in Tourism; Communi-<br />
1 Due to the spatial constraints we will use abbreviation for the title of a college course. As a<br />
help in the formation of abbreviation we used the web site https://www.allacronyms.com/basic/<br />
abbreviated and the List of abbreviations used by the International Association of Teachers of<br />
English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL). According to this, we used abbreviation as follows:<br />
SEM for Semester;<br />
BE for Business English, BAS GER for Basic German, BAS ITA for Basic Italian, BF for Basic<br />
French EFL for English as foreign language; GFL for German as foreign language, IFL<br />
for Italian as foreign language, ESL — English as a Second Language, GSL for German as<br />
a Second Language, ISL for Italian as a second Language, BFL for Business foreign language,<br />
FFL for French as a foreign language, FSL for French as a Second Language.<br />
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S. MarjanoviÊ, N. BorËiÊ, M. Pekez: Communication in Foreign Languages...<br />
cazione professionale peri il settore turistico; Geschäftskommunikation im Tourismus<br />
— 7th semester, and Patrimoine culturel Croate; Kulturhistorisches Erbe Kroatiens; Cultural<br />
and historical heritage of Croatia; Patrimonio storico-culturale della Croazia- 8th<br />
semester). As a tourist destination, not only does Croatia showcase its cultural heritage,<br />
but successful communication in the tourism industry is also expected. As a result, it is<br />
extremely important and commendable to be able to offer continued technical foreign<br />
language education to future employees in tourism. In Table 3 you can see information<br />
about Libertas International University and VERN' University of Applied Sciences.<br />
Table 3 Institution of higher education and the foreign language status<br />
Study Language/Semester Hours and ECTS<br />
Libertas, International University Zagreb & Dubrovnik<br />
• 1.Undergraduate professional 1st, 2nd, 3rd SEM: GFT, German for Tourism 60 hours and<br />
Study programme Tourism and 4th SEM: no language 3 ECTS<br />
Hotel Management 5th SEM: English for Tourism Management; per semester<br />
German for Tourism Management<br />
6th SEM: Module Tourism, Moduel Hospitality,<br />
Module Restaurant Management and Gastronomy<br />
• 2.Graduate professional 1st SEM: Cultures in the Language of Tourism — English,<br />
Study programme<br />
Tourism an Hotel Management<br />
VERN, University of Applied Sciences Zagreb<br />
• 1. Undergraduate professional<br />
study Tourism and<br />
Hotel Management<br />
• 2. Graduate professional<br />
study Sustainable development<br />
management<br />
Cultures in the Language of Tourism — German<br />
2nd SEM: Cultures in the Language of Tourism — English,<br />
Cultures in the Language of Tourism — German<br />
3rd SEM: Language of Tourism through Media — English,<br />
Language of Tourism through Media — German<br />
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th SEM: English in tourism<br />
& hospitality; GSL, ISL— facultative<br />
5th SEM: Hotel management: ESL<br />
— Tourism management: ESL<br />
6th SEM: no language<br />
Libertas International University Zagreb & Dubrovnik and VERN' University of Applied<br />
Sciences are examples of continuous inclusion of two foreign languages as a part<br />
of non-foreign language major curricula for a baccalaureate degree. At Libertas International<br />
University, a foreign language in the technical field of expertise is offered in the<br />
6th semester as follows: Restaurant Management and Gastronomy — English or German<br />
for Restaurant Management, Hospitality — English or German for Hospitality Management,<br />
Tourism — English or German for Tourism Management. As part of the graduate<br />
professional study programme Tourism and Hotel Management, students can choose as<br />
an elective course “Cultures in the Language of Tourism” — English or German in the<br />
1st and 2nd semester, and “Languages of Tourism through Media” — English or German<br />
in the 3rd semester. This definitively shows that great importance is given to the<br />
study of profession-focused foreign language within Tourism degree curricula.<br />
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Foreign languages are mandatory courses throughout all three years of undergraduate<br />
professional study at certain institutions of higher education, on the Polytechnic<br />
in ©ibenik and Virovitica College, as shown in Table 4.<br />
Table 4 Institution of higher education and the foreign language status<br />
Study Language/Semester Hours and ECTS<br />
Polytechnic ©ibenik<br />
• Undergraduate professional 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th SEM: BE, Business German, 30 hours and<br />
study Tourism Management Italian 3 ECTS<br />
5th & 6th SEM: no foreign language<br />
per semester<br />
Visoka πkola za menadæment u turizmu i informatici Virovitica<br />
• Undergraduate professional 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th SEM: EFL, GFL 45 hours and<br />
study Management — — required 2 ECTS<br />
Rural Tourism Management<br />
per semester<br />
90 hours and<br />
4 ECTS<br />
per semester<br />
60 hours and<br />
xx ECTS<br />
per semester<br />
Polytechnic of Meappleimurje in »akovec<br />
• Undergraduate professional 1st, 2nd SEM:BE, Business German 60 hours and<br />
study — required/ elective xx ECTS<br />
Management of Tourism 3rd/ 4th/5th SEM: no foreign language per semester<br />
and Sports<br />
I<br />
(full- and part-time study)<br />
— required/ elective<br />
Two languages are offered at Virovitica College (English and German), whereas<br />
three foreign languages are offered at the Polytechnic in ©ibenik. From the table above<br />
it is clear that there is an obligation to study a foreign language during undergraduate<br />
studies, but in some cases only during the first and second semester, which is insufficient<br />
(Polytechnic of Meappleimurje in »akovec). We can see what an interesting choice<br />
the Management of Tourism and Sports study has made regarding foreign languages.<br />
Namely, no foreign language is offered in the 3rd, 4th and 5th semester, although the<br />
Republic of Croatia is an important tourist destination, and a country where sport plays<br />
a big role, and athletes have the role of ambassadors all over the world.<br />
Table 5 Institution of higher education and the foreign language status<br />
Study Language/Semester Hours and ECTS<br />
RIT, Rochester Institute of Technology Croatia, Zagreb & Dubrovnik<br />
• Undergraduate professional 1st, 2nd SEM: basic academic English 6 ECTS<br />
study (4years) Hospitality and 3rd, 4th SEM: BAS GER, BAS ITA, basic Spanish,<br />
Tourism Management<br />
Russian, BF<br />
5th, 6th SEM: intermediate 1+2<br />
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Edward Barnays, University College Zagreb<br />
• Tourist Destination 1st, 2nd SEM: BE, 2nd, 3rd foreign language 30 hours and<br />
Management and Marketing — required/ facultative 4 ECTS<br />
undergraduate study programme 3rd, 4th SEM: English in Tourism 1+2 per semester<br />
— second foreign language 3<br />
As we can see in table 5, Rochester Institution of Technology shows us the importance<br />
of having a choice to study foreign languages. We would like to mention the possibility<br />
of learning the Russian language (VERN' students can also choose Russian as an<br />
elective foreign language). This shows us that the selection of foreign languages, given<br />
the needs of the labour market, should also be extended to foreign languages that<br />
are not so popular, but in today's world of globalization and multiculturalism certainly<br />
provide greater opportunities in terms of personal satisfaction, career and the expansion<br />
of one’s horizons.<br />
Table 6 Institution of higher education and the foreign language status<br />
Study Language/Semester Hours and ECTS<br />
Faculty of Economics and Business University Zagreb<br />
•Undergraduate integrated 3rd, 4th and 5th year: BE in Tourism 4 ECTS<br />
Study Business Economy 1st, 2nd, 3rd year:<br />
— Study Programme Tourism — BE, Business in German 1,2,3 — obligatory<br />
• Undergraduate Professional — BE or German 1, 2, 3<br />
Study — programme Tourism — advanced English I, II<br />
• Undergraduate University — Business Chinese I, II<br />
Study in English (BDiP)<br />
BE I, II<br />
• Graduated Professional Study BGER I, BGER II<br />
— Academic skills in English<br />
— BE in Tourism<br />
— English in Tourism<br />
Faculty of Economics and Business University Split<br />
• Undergraduate University — BE 1.-4.<br />
Study —Tourism — Business ITA 1.-4.<br />
• Undergraduate professional — Business GER<br />
Study- Tourism business<br />
• Graduate University Study<br />
Tourism & Hospitality<br />
University Dubrovnik<br />
• Undergraduate Professional 1st SEM: BE, GER / ITAL/SPAIN/FR — elective 30 hours and<br />
Study Business Economy 2nd SEM: BE, GER / ITAL/SPAIN — elective 2,5 ECTS<br />
— Study Course Tourism 3rd year: BE, GER / ITAL/SPAIN/FR — elective per semester<br />
• Graduate Study Business<br />
Economy<br />
— Study Course Tourism<br />
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The analysis of foreign language study at institutions of higher education we have<br />
chosen (Table 2-6 ) shows us that the English language is the most frequently chosen<br />
either as a required course or as an elective one. German, Italian and French are chosen<br />
next, and in this exact order. Additionally, Spanish and Russian can be chosen as<br />
electives, and even Chinese can be chosen at Faculty of Economics and Business at the<br />
University of Zagreb. Curriculum analysis at multiple institutions of higher education in<br />
Croatia shows that institutions offer at least one foreign language which is typically chosen<br />
in the first semester. We can definitely conclude that the status of foreign language<br />
study is in total satisfactory. However, in the current climate of internationalization,<br />
general social change and supply and demand in the job market, foreign language education<br />
should be further motivated. One possibility is to increase the number of ECTS<br />
points for the foreign language courses and to require two foreign languages (out of<br />
four offered) in the curriculum. This recommendation would motivate students to study<br />
foreign languages which would, in turn, aid in their future careers.<br />
As it relates to graduate studies, a foreign language is offered at almost all institutions<br />
of higher education. It could be assumed that the awareness of importance of<br />
continued study of foreign languages should be instilled into students during undergraduate<br />
and graduate study, and that means continued learning of foreign languages<br />
throughout each year of the study programme.<br />
4. CONCLUSION<br />
It is evident that in the field of tourism and hospitality, beside the communicative language<br />
ability, it is also extremely important to develop intercultural competence, or the<br />
ability of successful communication between members of different cultures. In the<br />
process of learning a new language it is important to be aware of its cultural aspect(s)<br />
because the knowledge of other cultures helps learners to learn a certain language and<br />
to assess the cultural values of that language (Ellis, 2005; Williams and Burden, 1999,<br />
Luka, 2007). In order to develop intercultural competence, students should not only<br />
learn a foreign language, but such process should also include intercultural training and<br />
intercultural exchange of ideas. It is evident that the knowledge and the skills acquired<br />
in this learning process will highly contribute to the development of tourism and hospitality<br />
services in general.<br />
We could conclude that our results show the presence of foreign languages within<br />
the curricula, but inadequate presence in the Croatian academic publications. We believe<br />
that a larger presentation of this topic in scientific articles would contribute to the<br />
development of a debate on Croatian language policy. The conclusion of the paper is<br />
that the language policy of the Republic of Croatia should be systematised, and that the<br />
implementation of both the choice and order of learning certain foreign languages<br />
should be conducted in an argued and planned analysis.<br />
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Europäischen Wirtschaft- und Sozialausschuss und den Ausschuss der Regionen: Eine neue<br />
Rahmenstrategie für Mehrsprachigkeit. http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/archive/<br />
doc/com596_de.pdf (15. 6. 2014.).<br />
KOM (2008.) 566: Mitteilung der Kommission an den Rat, das Europäische Parlament, den<br />
Europäischen Wirtschaft- und Sozialausschuss und den Ausschuss der Regionen:<br />
Mehrsprachigkeit: Trumpfkarte Europas, aber auch gemeinsame Verpflichtung.<br />
http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/imi-net/progress_report_de.pdf (15. 6. 2014.)<br />
Luka, I. (2007). Development of Student’s English for Special Purposes Competence in Tourism<br />
Studies at Tertiary Level. The paper presented at the International bilingual conference<br />
“Assessing language and (inter-) cultural competences in Higher Education” in Finland, the<br />
University of Turku, 30-31. April, 2011 http://www.turiba.lv/uploaded_files/Mig_Komm/<br />
Language_competence.pdf [Accessed the 27th of April 2011, 15:31]<br />
Medved KrajnoviÊ, M. & Letica, S. (2009). UËenje stranih jezika u Hrvatskoj: politika, znanost i<br />
javnost. U: J. GraniÊ (ur.), Language Policy and Language Reality (pp. 598-607). Zagreb:<br />
Hrvatsko druπtvo za primijenjenu lingvistiku — HDPL.<br />
MihaljeviÊ DjigunoviÊ, J. (2009). Strani jezici u kurikulu: europski modeli i hrvatske teænje.<br />
Metodika, 18, vol. 10, br. 1, 51-79.<br />
MihaljeviÊ DjigunoviÊ, J. & BagariÊ, V. (2007). A Comparative Study of Attitudes ans Motivation of<br />
Croatian Learners of English and German. SRAZ, LII, 259-281.<br />
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Neuner, G. (2005.). Gesamtsprachenkonzept, Mehrsprachigkeitsansatz und Tertiärsprachen- lernen,<br />
Beispiel Westschweiz. U: B. Hufeisen, M. Lutjeharms (eds.), Gesamtsprachen-curriculum.<br />
Integrierte Sprachendidaktik. Common Curriculum (pp. 51-73). Tübingen: Gunter Narr Verlag.<br />
The European Higher Education Area. History of the EHEA. Available at: http://www.study.eu/<br />
article/the-european-higher-education-area-ehea. Other example can be found at:<br />
www.study.eu (12. 10. <strong>2018</strong>.)<br />
Vilke, M. (2007). Engleski u Hrvatskoj: Pogled u proπlost, sadaπnjost i buduÊnost. Metodika, vol. 8,<br />
br. 14, 7-16.<br />
Williams, M., Burden, R.L. (1999). Psychology for language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge<br />
University Press.<br />
ZajedniËki europski referentni okvir za jezike: uËenje, pouËavanje, vrednovanje (ZEROJ), Zagreb:<br />
©kolska knjiga/VijeÊe Europe, 2005.<br />
568
Davor MIKULI∆, Damira KE»EK, Damira –UKEC<br />
KEY SECTORS IN THE CROATIAN<br />
ECONOMY: AN INPUT-OUTPUT<br />
APPROACH<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
Input-output analysis, a method of quantitative macroeconomic analysis, analyses structural<br />
relations among productive sectors of the national economy over a given period<br />
(ten Raa, 2005). Input-output analysis quantifies direct, indirect and induced effects of<br />
a certain productive sector on the national economy. It is mostly used to estimate the<br />
effects of final demand for goods or services produced by a certain economic sector<br />
on the level of national economy in terms of the most important economic indicators<br />
of success and competitiveness of the national economy, i.e. in terms of output, gross<br />
value added (GVA) and employment. The indicators that determine those effects are<br />
called multipliers (Miller & Blair, 2009).<br />
The productive sectors with the greatest contribution to the growth and development<br />
of other productive sectors, and thus the economy as a whole, are considered<br />
key sectors. The identification of key sectors of the national economy enables the assessment<br />
of the role of the individual productive sector in its capacity to induce the<br />
growth of the overall economy's output, which through cross-sectoral relations stimulate<br />
the production of other sectors. The value of the multiplier is a significant factor<br />
influencing the classification of the individual sector into a group of key sectors of the<br />
national economy. In addition, determination of key sectors is also based on the weight<br />
of the individual sector in the national economy. Multipliers are expressed in relative<br />
terms as the ratio between total and direct effects. From the point of view of the national<br />
economy more significant indicator of the effects is in the absolute terms, i.e. as<br />
the total value of the output or gross value added induced by a specific sector. High<br />
indirect effects for some sectors whose production is not sufficiently developed and<br />
which do not have significant weight in the national economy limits their overall contribution<br />
and prevents the classification of these sectors into key sectors. Other sectors<br />
may have lower multiplier effects, but due to their high share in the economy, they<br />
can, in absolute terms, contribute more to the overall growth of production and employment.<br />
Therefore, in identification of the key sectors in the national economy, multiplier<br />
effects are weighted with the relative importance of productive sectors.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
The contribution of this paper is the identification of key sectors of the Croatian<br />
economy based on the backward and forward weighted effects on the production of<br />
other sectors.<br />
This paper is organized as follows. The introduction is followed by an overview<br />
of the literature of key sectors of the national economy. Section 3 describes the research<br />
methodology and data sources used in this research. Section 4 presents the empirical<br />
results of the backward and forward effects of the Croatian productive sectors.<br />
Finally, in the conclusion, final remarks are provided.<br />
LITERATURE REVIEW<br />
The identification of key sectors of the national economy may be based on various economic<br />
and econometric methods. The concept of a key sector in economic literature<br />
was developed by Rasmussen (1956) and Hirschman (1958). Those studies provided<br />
methodology for the identification of economic sectors inducing the most significant<br />
backward and forward effects on the rest of the economy. Concepts of key sectors,<br />
linkages and structural change were further developed by Sonis, Guilhoto, Hewings &<br />
Martins (1995), McGilvray (1977) and Sonis, Hewings & Guo (2000). An overview of<br />
relevant research indicates that input-output analysis is the most common approach in<br />
the field of key sector identification. Papers dealing with the empirical identification of<br />
key sectors of national economies in a recent period are given below.<br />
In the paper by the European Commission (2007), the key sector analysis for the<br />
EU economy was carried out in terms of output, employment and income based on the<br />
input-output table for 2000. The sectors of construction; wholesale trade and commission<br />
trade, excluding motor vehicles and motorcycles; recreational, cultural and sporting<br />
activities and sector retail trade, excluding motor vehicles and motorcycles were<br />
identified as the key sectors in terms of output, employment and income, with more<br />
or less spread effects. The sectors of sale, maintenance and repair of motor vehicles<br />
and motorcycles; retail sale services of automotive fuel and the hotel and restaurant<br />
services were identified as key sectors with regards to employment. The sector of other<br />
business activities was detected as a key sector only in terms of gross value added.<br />
For the Croatian economy, key sectors identification was for the first time conducted<br />
in the paper by Botric (2013) and was based on the input-output table for 2004.<br />
Identified sectors with significant backward linkages were electricity, construction and<br />
food processing, while sectors with forward linkages were related to food production<br />
and tobacco processing. Except of the above-mentioned sectors, service sectors and<br />
untradeable sectors stand out as other important sectors. The results of the analysis indicate<br />
that sectors which do not have strong export performance are sectors with<br />
stronger linkages to other sectors of the Croatian.<br />
Based on the unweighted Rassmussen approach, Tounsi, Ezzahid, Alaoui & Nihou<br />
(2012) performed a classification of productive sectors for the Moroccan economy. The<br />
sectors that had the most important backward linkage index were the sector of food<br />
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D. MikuliÊ, D. KeËek, D. –ukec: Key Sectors in the Croatian Economy...<br />
and tobacco industries and the sector of other manufacturing industries (excluding petroleum<br />
refining). Sectors that had the most important forward linkage index were the<br />
sector of refined petroleum and other energy products, the sector of agriculture, forestry,<br />
hunting, and exploitation and the sector of mechanical, metallurgical and electrical<br />
industry. By using the input-output analysis, Oralhan, Altay Topcu, & Sümerli Sarıgül<br />
(2016) determined the key sectors for the Turkish economy for 2011. The following<br />
sectors were recognized as the key ones: textiles and textile products, chemicals and<br />
chemical products, basic metals and fabricated metal, electricity, gas and water supply,<br />
other supporting and auxiliary transport activities and activities of travel agencies.<br />
Based on the structural input-output analysis of the inter-sectoral linkages and main activity<br />
clusters, sectors related to the production of tradable goods and services were<br />
identified as key sectors for Greek economy (Tsekeris, 2017).<br />
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND DATA SOURCES<br />
In its basic form, the input-output model represents a system of linear equations that<br />
in detail show the relationship between different activities in the national economy.<br />
Each equation shows the distribution of the production of a certain activity to intermediate<br />
consumption and final use of the total economy. The input-output model provides<br />
information on the cost structure in the productive process of each activity. The<br />
identification of key sectors of the national economy is based on the standard inputoutput<br />
model. More on input-output methodology can be found in Miller & Blair (2009)<br />
and MikuliÊ (<strong>2018</strong>). Further in this chapter basic facts and formulas are given based on<br />
the input-output methodology that enables key sectors identification.<br />
The identification of key sectors of national economy is based on the analysis of<br />
the demand channel and supply channel. The demand channel analysis starts from the<br />
effects of a certain productive sector on the activity of other productive sectors involved<br />
in the value added chain of that sector through the demand of intermediate products<br />
(backward linkages). The increase of the sector j production requires more input from<br />
other producers, and through demand, increase of sector j products indirectly increases<br />
the production of all sectors involved in the production chain of that particular sector.<br />
On the other side, the increase of the sector j output implies an additional production<br />
for intermediate consumption of other productive sectors.<br />
The term forward linkages is used in literature for cross-sectoral linkages through<br />
the deliveries of goods and services that sector j supplies to other productive sectors,<br />
i.e. the cross-sectoral linkages through the supply channel. By increasing the production<br />
of the sector producing goods and services for which quantity of available products<br />
represent a constraining factor for the growth of other sector production, the production<br />
possibilities of the overall economy increase. Different definitions, advantages<br />
and limitations of certain cross-sectoral dependence indicators are shown in McGilvray<br />
(1977) and Hewings (1982). The combination of the demand and supply approach<br />
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gives a more complete and complex view of the importance of individual sectors for<br />
the national economy.<br />
Backward effects are usually measured by Leontief inverse<br />
L = (I — A D ) —1<br />
where A D represents a square n-by-n matrix of domestic technical coefficients a D ij which<br />
are defined as the ratio of the product from sector i that is required by sector j in order<br />
to produce one unit of its product. I is the n-by-n identity matrix (n is number of<br />
observed productive sectors).<br />
Element a ij of the matrix L represents the total direct and indirect output of sector<br />
i per unit value of final demand for products produced by sector j. Type I output<br />
multiplier, defined as S n i = 1 a ij , represents the intensity of bckward inter-sectoral integration<br />
of sector j related to bith direct and indirect requirements for intermediates incorporated<br />
in sector j output.<br />
Forward linkages are determined by Ghosh inverse<br />
G = (I — B) —1<br />
where B is a square n-by-n matrix of direct-output coefficients that represent the distribution<br />
of outputs of sector i across sectors j that purchase interindustry inputs from<br />
sector i. Matrix I is the n-by-n identity matrix. Element g ij of matrix G represent the total<br />
value of production that comes about in sector j per unit of primary input in sector<br />
i (Augustinovics, 1970), while Ghosh multiplier, defined as S n j = 1 g ij , represents forward<br />
direct and indirect cross-sectoral linkages of sector i.<br />
In addition to the multiplicative effects in terms of output, the contribution of a<br />
particular sector should also reflect its relative importance in the national economy, enabled<br />
by the weighting of said multiplicative effects. For key sectors identification in<br />
terms of output in the model that analyses the demand effect Weighted Leontief inverse<br />
L w = (I — A D ) —1 · diag(f) = L · diag(f)<br />
is used, where L is Leontief inverse. Elements of the column vector f represent the share<br />
of the certain sector in total final deliveries. Weighted Ghosh inverse<br />
G w = (I — B) —1 · diag(g) = G · diag(g)<br />
is used for the identification of key sectors in terms of output in the model that analysis<br />
the supply effect. Weights for key sectors identification in terms of output in the<br />
supply model are calculated as a share of the gross value added of certain sector in total<br />
gross value added and shown in row vector g.<br />
If b ij denotes the element of matrix L w or G w , weighted multiplier of sector j equals<br />
to b j = S n i = 1 b ij . To define the key sector the normalized multiplier<br />
is used. The value of this indicator above 1 indicates that a certain sector has aboveaverage<br />
multiplicative effects, i.e. the observed sector is the key sector. Lower level of<br />
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D. MikuliÊ, D. KeËek, D. –ukec: Key Sectors in the Croatian Economy...<br />
normalized multiplier indicates less importance of observed sector for the national<br />
economy.<br />
The weighted values of output effects more realistically reflect the importance of<br />
each sector to the national economy. However, the obtained results do not provide the<br />
information whether the effects are evenly distributed across other productive sectors<br />
or are concentrated on only a few sectors with the most powerful cross-sectoral relationships.<br />
For the purpose of assessing the dispersion effects on other sectors, it is useful<br />
to use the Pearson coefficient variation defined as the ratio of the standard deviation<br />
of the cross-sectoral influence and the average value. Lower values of this indicator<br />
point to a wide dispersion effects, i.e. the effects on many different sectors, while<br />
higher values indicate the concentration of effects on only one or several sectors. Dispersion<br />
of effects for a sector j is calculated according to the following formula<br />
As in the case of a normalized multiplier, the dispersion rating is based on the normalized<br />
dispersion indicator<br />
The value of the normalized dispersion indicator greater than 1 indicates that sector<br />
has a narrow dispersion of indirect effects, i.e. indirect effects are concentrated on<br />
a limited number of sectors. The lower value of this indicator suggests that sector has<br />
a more balanced impact on other sectors of the national economy, whose activity indirectly<br />
induces positive effects for a range of other sectors.<br />
The main data source for the Croatian key sectors identification was the Croatian<br />
symmetric input-output table for the domestic production for the year 2013 (MikuliÊ,<br />
<strong>2018</strong>), where the entire Croatian economy is separated into 64 mutually exclusive productive<br />
sectors. Codes and descriptions of all 64 productive sectors are given in Table<br />
A1 in Appendix.<br />
RESULTS<br />
The weighting of the Leontief and Ghosh matrices according to the methodology presented<br />
in the previous section and the expression of the effects in normalized values<br />
allows the identification of key sectors of the national economy. Additionally, it is useful<br />
to exclude direct effects from the analysis and construct an indicator that only describes<br />
indirect effects (total effects estimated by Leontief inverse minus direct effects).<br />
In the case of sectors with a high share in gross added value or final deliveries, the total<br />
weighted indicator will indicate high values which are not the consequence of intensity<br />
of cross-sectoral relations, but are exclusively related to the direct effects related<br />
to a particular sector. Therefore, in Table 1, key sectors that induce the growth of<br />
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other productive sectors by their demand are determined only on the basis of indirect<br />
effects.<br />
Normalized<br />
indirect effects<br />
Table 1 Normalized indirect effects of a certain sector of the Croatian economy<br />
based on the weighted backward effect on the other sectors production<br />
Sector code<br />
0-0.099 B, C18,C29, H53, K66, M74-M75, N77, N78, N80-N82, S95, T<br />
0.1-0.299 A02, A03, C17, C22, C24, C26, E36, J58, J59-J60, J62-J63, M69-M70, M73<br />
0.3-0.499 C13-C32, E37-E39, H51, H52, L68B, L68A, M71, M72, N79, Q87-Q88,<br />
R90-R92, R93, S94, S96<br />
0.5-0.699 C13-C15, C16, C19, C20, C21, C23, C25, C27, C30, G45, H50<br />
0.7-0.999 C28, C33, K64, K65, P85<br />
1- A01, C10-C12, D53, F, G46, G47, H49, I, J61, O84, Q86<br />
According to the weighted backward effect indicator, i.e. the indirectly induced<br />
output in the sectors involved in the entire value added chain of a particular sector, the<br />
following sectors have been identified as the key sectors of the Croatian economy,<br />
ranked according to the values of normalized indirect effects greater than 1 from highest<br />
to lowest:<br />
— F Constructions<br />
— C10-C12 Food products, beverages and tobacco products<br />
— G46 Wholesale trade services, except for motor vehicles and motorcycles<br />
— O84 Public administration and defence services; compulsory social security<br />
services<br />
— G47 Retail trade services, except for motor vehicles and motorcycles<br />
— I Accommodation and food services<br />
— D35 Electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning<br />
— H49 Land transport services and transport services via pipelines<br />
— Q86 Human health services<br />
— A01 Products of agriculture, hunting and related services<br />
— J61 Telecommunications services<br />
The above activities, combined with multiplicative effects and their significance in<br />
terms of final deliveries, have the most pronounced impact on the overall production<br />
growth of other sectors. According to the values of a normalized dispersion indicator,<br />
most key sectors have an impact on a broad set of other activities, except for agriculture,<br />
health care, food and beverage and telecommunications, whose growth indirectly<br />
promotes only a limited set of other sectors. The indirect effects of agriculture are<br />
concentrated in several sectors that supply intermediate inputs used in agricultural production,<br />
such as seeds, animal feed, chemical products for the treatment of agricultural<br />
surfaces, energy sources for agricultural machinery and veterinary services. The effects<br />
of food and beverage are concentrated on food products, drinks and energy used<br />
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D. MikuliÊ, D. KeËek, D. –ukec: Key Sectors in the Croatian Economy...<br />
in accommodation facilities. Health services have the highest impact on the sectors that<br />
produce medications, orthopaedic supplies and energy supplies used in healthcare facilities.<br />
Telecommunication services have a significant intra-sectoral exchange of services<br />
(payment of services between telecommunications operators) and most affect the<br />
construction sector in the area of infrastructure maintenance, repair and installation of<br />
machinery and equipment and energy.<br />
From Table A1 in Appendix it can be seen that the effects dispersion indicator is<br />
in principle higher in sectors that produce physical goods in relation to service sectors.<br />
Production processes in the manufacturing industry are more complex and require a<br />
combination of a broader set of intermediate goods and services, and the multiplier effects<br />
are widespread, i.e. the total gross value chain is deeper. Technological processes<br />
in the service sector are simpler, a small set of intermediate products is used, and<br />
multiplier effects are concentrated on a narrow set of activities, i.e. the value added<br />
chain is relatively “shallow” and the spread of indirect effects is limited to only a few<br />
rounds of spreading effects.<br />
Key sectors can be determined according to the forward effects intensity. by using<br />
the same methodological approach of the normalized indirect effects, but applied<br />
to the analysis of the goods and services supply effects of a particular sector to other<br />
productive sectors. The key sector identification on the supply side is based on a combination<br />
of multipliers from the Ghosh model and the gross value added weights of individual<br />
sectors. Key sectors identification, as in the backward effects approach, is<br />
based on the indicator of normalized indirect effects. Direct effects that could label<br />
some sectors thekey ones because of their high share in total gross value added at the<br />
level of the whole economy are excluded by this approach if low intensity of their indirect<br />
impacts is taken into consideration.<br />
Normalized<br />
indirect effects<br />
Table 2 Normalized indirect effects of a certain sector of the Croatian economy<br />
based on the weighted forward effect on the production of other sectors<br />
Sector code<br />
0-0.599 A03, C13-C15, C26, C28, C30, G47, H50, I, L68A, M72, O84, P85, Q86,<br />
Q87-Q88, R90-R92, R93, S96, T<br />
0.6-0.999 A02, C10-C12, C21, C25, C27, C29, C31-C32, C33, E36, E37-E39, F,<br />
G46, H51, J58, K65, N79, S94<br />
1- A01, B, C16, C17, C18, C19, C20, C22, C23, C24, D35, G45, H49, H52,<br />
H53, J59-J60, J61, J62-J63, K64, K66, L68B, M69-M70, M71, M73,<br />
M74-M75, N77, N78, N80-N82, S95<br />
According to the indicator measuring the importance of the production of a certain<br />
sector, from the point of view related to the supply of intermediate inputs used by<br />
other sectors, the normalized indirect effects values above 1 have been recorded in the<br />
following sectors ranked from highest to lowest:<br />
— B Mining and quarrying<br />
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— M74-M75 Other professional, scientific and technical services; veterinary services<br />
— S95 Repair services of computers and personal and household goods<br />
— N77 Rental and leasing services<br />
— C18 Printing and recording services<br />
— M71 Architectural and engineering services; technical testing and analysis services<br />
— M69-M70 Legal and accounting services; services of head offices; management<br />
consulting services<br />
— N80-N82 Security and investigation services; services to buildings and landscape;<br />
office administrative, office support and other business support services<br />
— M73 Advertising and market research services<br />
— N78 Employment services<br />
— H53 Postal and courier services<br />
— C23 Other non-metallic mineral products<br />
— C17 Paper and paper products<br />
— H52 Warehousing and support services for transportation<br />
— L68B Real estate services (excluding imputed rent)<br />
— D35 Electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning<br />
— J62-J63 Computer programming, consultancy and related services; information<br />
services<br />
— C22 Rubber and plastics products<br />
— A01 Products of agriculture, hunting and related services<br />
— C20 Chemicals and chemical products<br />
— J59-J60 Motion picture, video and television programme production services,<br />
sound recording and music publishing; programming and broadcasting services<br />
— G45 Wholesale and retail trade,repair services of motor vehicles and motorcycles<br />
— C24 Base metals<br />
— K64 Financial services, except insurance and pension funding<br />
— J61 Telecommunications services<br />
— C19 Coke and refined petroleum products<br />
— K66 Services auxiliary to financial services and insurance services<br />
— H49 Land transport services and transport services via pipelines<br />
— C16 Wood and of products of wood and cork, except furniture; articles of straw<br />
and plaiting materials<br />
The above sectors mainly produce goods and services intended for intermediate<br />
consumption and their offer is significant for the production of the total economy. In<br />
some sectors (such as the production of agricultural products or the production of nonmetallic<br />
mineral products), the standard deviation index of indirect effects per sector is<br />
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D. MikuliÊ, D. KeËek, D. –ukec: Key Sectors in the Croatian Economy...<br />
high, indicating the concentration of effects to only a few other sectors. In the case of<br />
agriculture, there is a significant concentration of deliveries to the food production sector,<br />
while non-metallic mineral products are mostly used as inputs in the construction<br />
sector. The standard deviation index of indirect effects is the lowest for the chemical<br />
production sector, which indicates the importance of this input for a whole range of<br />
activities.<br />
The synthesis of the key sectors features on the demand and supply side, the synthetic<br />
classification of key sectors of the national economy can be summarized by Table<br />
3 and Figure 1.<br />
Table 3 Synthetic classification of key sectors of the Croatian economy<br />
based on the combination of backward and forward effects<br />
S i g n i f i c a n t f o r w a r d e f f e c t s W e a k f o r w a r d e f f e c t s<br />
Wide Concentrated Wide Concentrated<br />
spreading effects spreading effects<br />
Significant Wide D35, J61 H49 C10-C12, G46<br />
backward spreading<br />
effects Concentrated A01 F, G47, I, O84,<br />
effects<br />
P85, Q86<br />
Weak Wide B, C16, C17, C18, C19, C23 C25, C26, C27, C28, C29,<br />
backward spreading C20, C22, C24, C31-C32 C33, H50, H51, J58, K65, N79,<br />
effects J59-J60, K66, M73 S94, A02, A03, C13-C15, E36,<br />
Concentrated G45, H52, H53, J62-J63, K64 E37-E39, M72, C21, C30, R93,<br />
effects L68B, M69-M70, M71, L68A, Q87-Q88, R90-R92, S96, T<br />
M74-M75, N77, N78,<br />
N80-N82, S95<br />
Four productive sectors were identified as the key sectors of the Croatian economy<br />
according to both criteria — the multiplicative effect on the production of sectors<br />
in their production chain and their significant supply of intermediate goods and services<br />
to other sectors. The electricity and telecommunications services sectors, which<br />
have significant indirect effects and a widespread dispersion across the entire economy,<br />
are identified as the most important sectors. Land transportation and plant and products<br />
of agriculture also have significant indirect effects both by backward and forward<br />
criterion, but with effects concentrated to the limited number of other sectors.<br />
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Figure 1 Key sectors of the Croatian economy as a combination of backward and forward effects<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
Productive sectors that induce production of other productive sectors through crosssectoral<br />
relations are considered the key sectors for the national economy. Based on<br />
the backward and forward effects, four productive sectors were identified as the key<br />
sectors of the Croatian economy. These are the sectors: D35 — Electricity, gas, steam<br />
and air-conditioning and J61 — Telecommunications services. They, apart from their<br />
high indirect effects both on the demand and supply side, also have a widespread effect<br />
across the entire economy. Sectors H49 — Land transport services and transport<br />
services via pipelines and A01 — Products of agriculture, hunting and related services<br />
also have high indirect effects under both criteria, but thiose effects are concentrated<br />
on a smaller number of other sectors. This classification does not mean that other productive<br />
sectors are not significant. Each of the other sectors also has some multiplicative<br />
effects on the rest of the economy, but its linkage to the rest of the economy is of<br />
lower intensity or has a low share in final deliveries, affecting their ranking according<br />
to weighted indirect effects indicator. Key sectors identification can serve policy makers<br />
in the development of economic strategies that will not only stimulate the production<br />
growth of certain productive sectors, but also to induce spillover effects over the<br />
entire economy.<br />
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D. MikuliÊ, D. KeËek, D. –ukec: Key Sectors in the Croatian Economy...<br />
APPENDIX<br />
Table A1 Sector codes and descriptions, values of normalized indirect and dispersion effects<br />
Backward effect<br />
Forward effect<br />
Sector code<br />
Sector description<br />
Normalized<br />
indirect effect<br />
Dispersion<br />
effect<br />
Normalized<br />
indirect effect<br />
Dispersion<br />
effect<br />
CPA_A01 Products of agriculture, hunting and related services 1.717 1.099 1.304 1.294<br />
CPA_A02 Products of forestry, logging and related services 0.257 1.193 0.656 0.836<br />
CPA_A03 Fish and other fishing products; aquaculture products;<br />
support services to fishing 0.216 1.169 0.496 0.926<br />
CPA_B Mining and quarrying 0.069 0.964 2.137 0.688<br />
CPA_C10-C12 Food products, beverages and tobacco products 7.246 0.806 0.675 1.665<br />
CPA_C13-C15 Textiles, wearing apparel and leather products 0.547 1.019 0.519 0.879<br />
CPA_C16 Wood and of products of wood and cork,<br />
except furniture 0.583 0.728 1.038 0.751<br />
CPA_C17 Paper and paper products 0.158 0.826 1.677 0.676<br />
CPA_C18 Printing and recording services 0.034 0.880 2.020 0.700<br />
CPA_C19 Coke and refined petroleum products 0.671 1.070 1.099 0.793<br />
CPA_C20 Chemicals and chemical products 0.500 0.699 1.265 0.567<br />
CPA_C21 Basic pharmaceutical products and<br />
pharmaceutical preparations 0.519 1.034 0.730 1.097<br />
CPA_C22 Rubber and plastics products 0.264 0.854 1.506 0.672<br />
CPA_C23 Other non-metallic mineral products 0.603 0.866 1.761 1.144<br />
CPA_C24 Base metals 0.160 0.785 1.178 0.701<br />
CPA_C25 Fabricated metal products, except machinery<br />
and equipment 0.686 0.848 0.652 0.760<br />
CPA_C26 Computer, electronic and optical products 0.176 0.830 0.536 0.592<br />
CPA_C27 Electrical equipment 0.642 0.809 0.657 0.813<br />
CPA_C28 Machinery and equipment n.e.c. 0.931 0.826 0.362 0.954<br />
CPA_C29 Motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers 0.050 0.752 0.994 0.642<br />
CPA_C30 Other transport equipment 0.640 0.866 0.402 1.063<br />
CPA_C31_C32 Furniture; other manufactured goods 0.461 0.841 0.905 0.688<br />
CPA_C33 Repair and installation services of machinery<br />
and equipment 0.704 0.839 0.862 0.638<br />
CPA_D35 Electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning 2.251 0.940 1.539 1.127<br />
CPA_E36 Natural water; water treatment and supply services 0.234 1.134 0.669 0.702<br />
CPA_E37-E39 Sewerage; waste collection, treatment and disposal<br />
activities; materials recovery 0.495 1.067 0.937 0.757<br />
CPA_F Constructions and construction works 7.963 0.976 0.987 1.820<br />
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CPA_G45<br />
CPA_G46<br />
CPA_G47<br />
CPA_H49<br />
Wholesale and retail trade and repair services<br />
of motor vehicles and motorcycles 0.505 1.047 1.187 0.758<br />
Wholesale trade services, except of motor vehicles<br />
and motorcycles 5.720 0.971 0.776 1.683<br />
Retail trade services, except of motor vehicles and<br />
motorcycles 4.817 0.967 0.363 1.755<br />
Land transport services and transport services<br />
via pipelines 2.126 0.947 1.074 1.159<br />
CPA_H50 Water transport services 0.512 0.867 0.584 0.698<br />
CPA_H51 Air transport services 0.368 0.577 0.646 0.590<br />
CPA_H52 Warehousing and support services for transportation 0.445 1.006 1.629 0.811<br />
CPA_H53 Postal and courier services 0.032 1.277 1.850 0.582<br />
CPA_I Accommodation and food services 4.616 1.026 0.134 1.906<br />
CPA_J58 Publishing services 0.238 0.831 0.816 0.619<br />
CPA_J59_J60<br />
Motion picture, video and television programme<br />
production services 0.144 0.967 1.261 0.618<br />
CPA_J61 Telecommunications services 1.105 1.098 1.148 1.068<br />
CPA_J62_J63<br />
CPA_K64<br />
CPA_K65<br />
CPA_K66<br />
Computer programming, consultancy and related<br />
services; information services 0.242 1.092 1.523 0.627<br />
Financial services, except insurance and<br />
pension funding 0.835 1.275 1.166 1.281<br />
Insurance, reinsurance and pension funding services,<br />
except compulsory social security 0.848 0.852 0.700 0.774<br />
Services auxiliary to financial services and<br />
insurance services 0.094 1.059 1.077 0.577<br />
CPA_L68B Real estate services (excluding imputed rent) 0.474 1.142 1.562 0.854<br />
CPA_L68A Imputed rents of owner-occupied dwellings 0.495 1.461 0.000 2.022<br />
CPA_M69_M70 Legal and accounting services; services of<br />
head offices 0.214 1.179 1.989 0.755<br />
CPA_M71<br />
Architectural and engineering services;<br />
technical testing and analysis services 0.319 1.134 2.004 0.816<br />
CPA_M72 Scientific research and development services 0.329 1.153 0.436 0.860<br />
CPA_M73 Advertising and market research services 0.226 0.706 1.925 0.662<br />
CPA_M74_M75 Other professional, scientific and technical services;<br />
veterinary services 0.025 1.020 2.137 0.646<br />
CPA_N77 Rental and leasing services 0.089 1.138 2.030 0.636<br />
CPA_N78 Employment services 0.023 1.242 1.895 0.706<br />
CPA_N79<br />
CPA_N80-N82<br />
Travel agency, tour operator and other reservation<br />
services and related services 0.349 1.082 0.684 0.830<br />
Security and investigation services; services to<br />
buildings and landscape 0.062 1.165 1.933 0.604<br />
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D. MikuliÊ, D. KeËek, D. –ukec: Key Sectors in the Croatian Economy...<br />
CPA_O84<br />
Public administration and defence services;<br />
compulsory social security services 4.937 0.998 0.032 1.997<br />
CPA_P85 Education services 0.961 1.365 0.244 1.835<br />
CPA_Q86 Human health services 1.968 1.194 0.077 1.953<br />
CPA_Q87_Q88 Social work services 0.318 1.196 0.014 1.928<br />
CPA_R90-R92<br />
CPA_R93<br />
Creative, arts and entertainment services;<br />
library and other cultural services 0.448 1.186 0.218 1.330<br />
Sporting services and amusement and<br />
recreation services 0.444 0.909 0.099 1.290<br />
CPA_S94 Services furnished by membership organisations 0.371 0.813 0.882 0.615<br />
CPA_S95 Repair services of computers and personal and<br />
household goods 0.018 1.070 2.048 1.041<br />
CPA_S96 Other personal services 0.417 1.170 0.293 1.148<br />
CPA_T Services of households as employers 0.092 1.098 0.000 2.022<br />
References<br />
Augustinovics, M. (1970). Methods of international and intertemporal comparison of structure. In<br />
Carter, A.P. and Bródy, A. (Ed.), Contributions to input-output analysis (249-269). Amsterdam:<br />
North-Holland.<br />
BotriÊ, V. (2013). Identifying Key Sectors in Croatian Economy Based on Input-Output Tables. EIZ<br />
Working Papers, The Institute of Economics, 5-24.<br />
European Commission. (2007). Contribution to the report on guiding principles for product market<br />
and sector monitoring. Sevilla: Joint Research Centre’s Institute for Prospective Techological<br />
Studies. Available at http://susproc.jrc.ec.europa.eu/docs/<br />
CONTRIBUTIONTOTHEREPORTONGUIDINGPRINCIPLES_000.pdf<br />
Hewings, G. (1982). The empirical identification of key sectors in an economy: A regional<br />
perspective. The Developing Economies, 20(2), 173-195. doi: 10.1111/j.1746-1049.<br />
1982.tb00444.x<br />
Hirschman, A. (1958). The Strategy of Economic Development. New Haven: Yale University Press.<br />
McGilvray, J. W. (1977). Linkages, key sectors and development strategy. In Leontief, W. (Ed.),<br />
Structure, system and economic policy (49-56). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.<br />
MikuliÊ, D. (<strong>2018</strong>). Osnove input-output analize s primjenom na hrvatsko gospodarstvo. Zagreb:<br />
Ekonomski institut.<br />
Miller, R. E. & Blair, P.D. (2009). Input-Output Analysis: Foundations and Extensions. New York,<br />
Cambridge University Press.<br />
Oralhan, B., Altay Topcu, B. & Sümerli Sarıgül, S. (2016). Determination of Key Sectors in Turkish<br />
Economy by Using Input-Output Analysis. Revista Economica, 68(1), 178-192.<br />
Rasmussen, P. (1956). Studies in Inter-Sectoral Relations, Copenhagen: Einar Harks.<br />
Sonis, M., Guilhoto, J. J. M., Hewings, G. J. D. & Martins, E. B. (1995). Linkages, key sectors and<br />
structural change: some new perspectives. The Developing Economies, 33, 233-270.<br />
Sonis, M., Hewings, G. J. D. & Guo, J. (2000). A New Image of Classical Key Sector Analysis:<br />
Minimum Information Decomposition of the Leontief Inverse. Economic Systems Research,<br />
12(3), 401-423, doi:10.1080/09535310050120952<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
ten Raa, T. (2005). The Economics of Input-Output Analysis. Cambridge, Cambridge University<br />
Press.<br />
Tounsi, S., Ezzahid, E., Alaoui, A. & Nihou, A. (2012). Key Sectors in the Moroccan Economy:<br />
An Application of Input-Output Analysis. Economics: The Open-Access, Open-Assessment<br />
E-Journal, 7(2013-18), 1-19. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5018/economics-ejournal.ja.2013-18<br />
Tsekeris, T. (2017). Network analysis of inter-sectoral relationships and key sectors in the Greek.<br />
Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, 12(2), 413-435. doi: https://doi.org/<br />
10.1007/s11403-015-0171-7<br />
582
Anton PETRI»EVI∆<br />
AN IMPACT OF EMIGRATION AND<br />
NEGATIVE DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS<br />
ON THE CROATIAN LABOR MARKET<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
We are faced with mass emigration of the population from the Republic of Croatia. During<br />
the migration movements in the previous year, according to data from the Croatian<br />
Bureau of Statistics, 47,352 inhabitants emigrated from the Republic of Croatia, while<br />
15,553 people immigrated to the Republic of Croatia. This represents a negative migration<br />
balance and does not give security and optimism to the population. It is visible<br />
from the available data that there are 50.9% of Croatian citizens and 49.1 foreigners<br />
among the immigrants to Croatia, while among emigrants there are 95.8% of Croatian<br />
citizens. What is worrying is that most of the emigrants from Croatia are men in the<br />
working age population. Mostly old people stay in Croatia and the senility of the total<br />
population of Croatia is increasingly becoming a problem. The average age or average<br />
age of the population is unsatisfactory.<br />
If, under the term migration, we mean the spatial movement of a person from their<br />
previous place of residence to a new place of residence with the intent to stay there<br />
permanently, then the current demographic image does not promise much.<br />
Whether the migration is external or internal, there are some parts of Croatia such<br />
as Vukovar-Srijem and Osijek-Baranja counties with negative migration saldo at -5,665<br />
in Vukovar-Srijem County and -5,460 persons in Osijek-Baranja County.<br />
The City of Zagreb has the biggest positive migration saldo of 1003 persons.<br />
Eastern Croatia is massively abandoned by qualified young people and highly educated<br />
people. The question is: why?<br />
According to their statements, the main reasons are the inability to find work in<br />
the Republic of Croatia, precarious forms of work, low wages, financial instability, better<br />
living standards in other EU countries, as well as better training and valorisation of<br />
the work done so far.<br />
2. INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION OF CROATIAN POPULATION<br />
From Table no. 1 it is evident that 2008 was the last year in which we had a positive<br />
migration balance when it comes to external migration. After that, we have had a negative<br />
migration balance that has gradually increased to reach 31,799 inhabitants who<br />
left the Republic of Croatia in 2017 with a tendency of further growth.<br />
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584<br />
Table 1 International migration of population of the Republic of Croatia<br />
(Croatian Bureau of Statistics, First release, Zagreb, July 20, <strong>2018</strong>, Nunber: 7.1.2.)<br />
Immigrants Emigrants Net migration<br />
2008 14 541 7 488 7 053<br />
2009 8 468 9 940 -1 472<br />
2010 4 985 9 860 -4 875<br />
2011* 8 534 12 699 -4 165<br />
2012* 8 959 12 877 -3 918<br />
2013* 10 378 15 262 -4 884<br />
2014* 10 638 20 858 -10 220<br />
2015* 11 706 29 651 -17 945<br />
2016* 13 985 36 436 -22 451<br />
2017* 15 553 47 352 -31 799<br />
* In order to harmonise the international migration statistics with international standards and<br />
the acquis communautaire, since 2011 data have been processed according to a new<br />
methodology.<br />
In 2014, given the situation in the country related to the difficulty of meeting the<br />
minimum living conditions and basic needs of the population, there was a sudden increase<br />
in emigration, which has been increasing every year, and almost nothing has<br />
been done so far to stop this wave. The question is: who has the interests and benefits<br />
from mass emigration of the contingent of a working and educated population? Are<br />
four years of mass emigration of entire families not enough to realize that this is a social<br />
and national disaster of the Croatian people? One question remains: For how long<br />
can this continue? What is more important than to realize that this is a very important,<br />
and at the same time a very dangerous wave that has affected the country?<br />
3. CURRENT DEMOGRAPHIC PICTURE OF THE REPUBLIC CROATIA<br />
There are still educated people that need a chance to show how they will stop emigration,<br />
start the economy, and rebuild the demographic picture of the Republic of Croatia.<br />
Croatia is, in demographic sense, covered in black and only in smaller parts that<br />
are like the oasis in the desert or the isolated enclaves shows some kind of vitality. Still,<br />
all this concerns only a few: “It is as if idealistic belief in the value of identity in the<br />
Croatian modernity doesn't exist”. (Sterc, 2017)<br />
We can read newspaper articles saying that even the few people who work have<br />
never been in worse situation in terms of labour rights. Workers are forced to work<br />
overtime and face daily contract cancellations. A fixed-term employment contract has<br />
become a rule, not an exception, as it was before, and when a fixed-term contract expires,it<br />
is not extended. In a local newspaper Glas Slavonije (Voice of Slavonia) on October<br />
24th, an article titled “55.3% of women lost their jobs because of motherhood”
A. PetriËeviÊ: An Impact of Emigration and Negative Demographic Trends...<br />
Chart 1 (Croatian Bureau of Statistics — First release, Zagreb, July 20, <strong>2018</strong>. Number: 7.1.2.)<br />
was published. These data refer to the entire territory of the Republic of Croatia and<br />
are based on a research carried out under the EU project titled “Towards real equality<br />
between men and women: harmonization of professional and family life.” This is a<br />
daunting fact, as the Gender Equality Ombudswoman of the Republic of Croatia said.<br />
This is another terrible blow to the demographic picture of the Republic of Croatia.<br />
According to the available data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics for 2017,<br />
more working-age men than women left Croatia. The following table shows that working-age<br />
men aged 20-44 are leaving most frequently.<br />
Table 2 International migration of population, by age and sex, 2017<br />
(Croatian Bureau of Statistics, PriopÊenje — First release, Zagreb, July 20, <strong>2018</strong>, Number: 7)<br />
I m m i g r a n t s<br />
E m i g r a n t s<br />
Age Total Men Women Total Men Women<br />
Total 15,553 9,819 5,734 47,352 26,214 21,138<br />
0 — 4 363 187 176 1,867 927 940<br />
5 — 9 335 158 177 2,777 1,449 1,328<br />
10 — 14 273 153 120 2,183 1,113 1,070<br />
15 — 19 665 412 253 2,001 1,072 929<br />
20 — 24 1,799 1,156 643 4,450 2,393 2,057<br />
25 — 29 2,000 1,213 787 6,667 3,565 3,102<br />
30 — 34 1,841 1,228 613 6,286 3,642 2,644<br />
35 — 39 1,536 1,063 473 5,333 3,203 2,130<br />
40 — 44 1,294 899 395 4,144 2,415 1,729<br />
45 — 49 1,140 792 348 3,601 2,080 1,521<br />
50 — 54 1,079 748 331 2,794 1,599 1,195<br />
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55 — 59 846 516 330 1,719 996 723<br />
60 — 64 807 419 388 1,221 611 610<br />
65 — 69 737 441 296 1,023 518 505<br />
70 — 74 358 216 142 655 342 313<br />
75 and more 480 218 262 631 289 342<br />
Table 3 shows which countries they are moving in order to find better living conditions,<br />
or better said, in order to survive, forced to leave their families behind.<br />
It is clear from the table that Germany is the most common choice for Croatian<br />
citizens with 28,972 of them having emigrated there in 2017. After Germany, the following<br />
countries are also common: Austria with 2706 Croatian citizens who emigrated<br />
there and Ireland with 2676 Croatian citizens. Majority of the immigration to the Republic<br />
of Croatia is from non-EU countries (from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia) and<br />
from EU countries that is Germany there are 2973 people who immigrated to Croatia.<br />
We still do not have the complete data about the emigrant population in the Republic<br />
of Croatia. The situation is even worse than the one shown in the available data,<br />
because part of the emigratnt population was not registered with the competent authorities<br />
(e.g. the Croatian Employment Service), so that the number of displaced population<br />
of the Republic of Croatia is considerably higher.<br />
The emigration of highly qualified people has been part of everyday life of the Republic<br />
of Croatia after the country entered the EU. Since 2013 highly educated people<br />
put their knowledge at the disposal of foreign countries where they can prove themselves,<br />
show their worth and feel more accomplished.<br />
“Back in 1991, Croatia had a population of 4 784 265 inhabitants, 4 499 049 of<br />
which in the country, and 285 216 abroad. According to the results of the 2001 population<br />
census, the number of inhabitants decreased to 4,437,460 or by 7%, compared to<br />
1991. Of this number, 4,200,340 were permanent residents of Croatia, while 226,151<br />
lived abroad. It should be noted that in the 1990s, for the first time in its history, Croatia<br />
had a negative natural increase in population. Puljiz, V. 1 (Beæovan, G., MatkoviÊ,<br />
T., ©uÊur, Z., ZrinπËak, S.), 2008: 177.<br />
From the available data published by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, it is evident<br />
that in 2008, 10 thousand more citizen died than there were born. All this, but also to<br />
a large extent the war that happened on the territory of the country, caused a decline<br />
in the number of Croatian citizens, and after a couple of years of mass emigration, the<br />
numbers became alarming.<br />
1 Negative rates of natural growth in the 1990s ranged from 0.3. in 1996 and 1.5 in 1999 and in<br />
2000. After that, negative rates increased, so they amounted to 1.9 in 2001, 2.4 in 2002—2002,<br />
in 2003 to 2.9, in 2004 and 2005 to -2.1, and in 2006 to 2.0 (Croatian Bureau of Statistics, 2008:<br />
95).<br />
586
A. PetriËeviÊ: An Impact of Emigration and Negative Demographic Trends...<br />
Table 3 International migration by country of origin/destination and citizenship, 2017<br />
(Croatian Bureau of Statistics, PriopÊenje — First release, Zagreb, July 20, <strong>2018</strong>, Number: 7)<br />
I m m i g r a n t s E m i g r a n t s<br />
Croatian Croatian Country of origin/<br />
Total citizens Foreigners Unknown Total citizens Foreigners Unknown destination<br />
15,553 7,911 7,636 6 47,352 45,367 1,977 8 Total<br />
13,599 7,329 6,268 2 45,432 43,878 1,551 3 Europe<br />
5,860 3,825 2,033 2 39,071 38,432 638 1 European Union<br />
545 426 117 2 2,706 2,684 22 - Austria<br />
55 34 21 - 215 209 6 - Belgium<br />
75 22 53 - 137 124 13 - Czech Republic<br />
56 36 20 - 152 146 6 - Denmark<br />
105 45 60 - 245 194 51 - France<br />
124 109 15 - 2,676 2,675 1 - Ireland<br />
534 256 278 - 794 662 132 - Italy<br />
19 18 1 - 96 96 - - Luxembourg<br />
94 14 80 - 157 114 43 - Hungary<br />
82 42 40 - 231 223 7 1 Netherlands<br />
2,973 2,517 456 - 29,053 28,972 81 - Germany<br />
66 9 57 - 61 44 17 - Poland<br />
46 5 41 - 38 5 33 - Romania<br />
56 8 48 - 106 86 20 - Slovakia<br />
622 118 504 - 717 618 99 - Slovenia<br />
39 14 25 - 114 99 15 - Spain<br />
120 69 51 - 802 786 16 - Sweden<br />
159 71 88 - 639 614 25 - United Kingdom<br />
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I m m i g r a n t s E m i g r a n t s<br />
Croatian Croatian Country of origin/<br />
Total citizens Foreigners Unknown Total citizens Foreigners Unknown destination<br />
7,739 3,504 4,235 - 6,361 5,446 913 2 Other European countries<br />
4,949 2,225 2,724 - 2,758 2,328 430 - Bosnia and Herzegovina<br />
68 24 44 - 68 47 21 - Montenegro<br />
248 41 207 - 85 23 62 - Kosovo<br />
238 47 191 - 115 55 60 - Macedonia, FYR<br />
53 22 31 - 347 344 3 - Norway<br />
144 20 124 - 78 25 53 - Russian Federation<br />
1,272 736 536 - 2,049 1,868 179 2 Serbia<br />
423 372 51 - 702 687 15 - Switzerland<br />
168 - 168 - 76 3 73 - Ukraine<br />
419 115 304 - 505 350 155 - Asia<br />
87 25 62 - 71 44 27 - Africa<br />
424 281 143 - 757 683 74 - North and Central America<br />
132 104 28 - 373 354 19 - Canada<br />
273 172 101 - 357 310 47 - USA<br />
109 44 65 - 29 15 14 - South America<br />
150 115 35 - 260 255 5 - Oceania<br />
135 104 31 - 226 222 4 - Australia<br />
765 2 759 4 298 142 151 5 Unknown<br />
588
A. PetriËeviÊ: An Impact of Emigration and Negative Demographic Trends...<br />
4. WHAT CAN BE DONE NOW<br />
TO STOP THE EMIGRATION TREND?<br />
Croatia is a rich country, a country with very beautiful sea, plenty of quality water, unprocessed<br />
rich land and a land of worthy and honest people as well as a safe environment.<br />
Problems such as mass emigration, unemployment, economic downturn should be<br />
stopped. How to do it? Through the measures of the government and the president, of<br />
course.<br />
However, we have to go back to 2006 when in her work “Why unemployment is<br />
still so high in Central and Eastern Europe” Alena Nesporova from Poland said: “the<br />
perception of Western investors of weak legal protection of property rights in many<br />
transition economies, especially in the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent<br />
States, was the main reason for the slow inflow of foreign direct investment in these<br />
countries, despite the possibility of achieving high profits” (Nesporova, 2006, p. 279).<br />
In 1971, academician Alica Wertheimer-BaletiÊ warned of the future depopulation<br />
of Croatia and the problems arising from the decline in birth rate and negative migration<br />
balance.<br />
Her new book helps us understand where we are and what is happening to our<br />
country, said the reviewer Stjepan ©terc, who said that the work of academician Wertheimer-BaletiÊ<br />
was the peak of demographic science in Croatia. Half a century ago she<br />
announced that, if nothing changes, Croatia would lack labor force.<br />
Academician Wertheimer-BaletiÊ emphasized that the very things she pointed out<br />
in the seventies are happening right now — today, due to mass emigration, there is a<br />
lack of workforce in Croatia. Anappleelko Akrap and Ivan »ipin in their work “Croatia in<br />
European Demographic Contrasts: An Analysis of Fertility” published in 2012 in the<br />
book Croatia in the European Union: how to go further? say: “Actual European demographic<br />
trends and projected mid-term and long-term changes show that the expected<br />
changes in demographic structures will be, for most European countries, critical development<br />
factors. Therefore, most European countries do not leave spontaneous development<br />
demographic trends, but try to direct them, with more or less success, to different<br />
public policies, in the desirable direction” — Akrap, A., »ipin, I. (2012, p. 233).<br />
5. SUGGESTION OF DEMOGRAPHIC MEASURES<br />
Young people who decide to leave the country are angry that only demographers are<br />
talking about the difficult situation in Croatia, and politicians are not concerned enough<br />
with this very important issue. A whole spectrum of measures for young people is<br />
needed, as well as a more complex view of their current and future life. By that, they<br />
certainly do not only think of safer jobs, but also about family policy measures (establishment<br />
of kindergartens, public and non-formal education, social protection and<br />
health care). They complain about tax repression, parafiscal charges, large and compli-<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
cated public administration and legal uncertainty. We are faced with the fact that the<br />
institutions of the Republic of Croatia are being remarked negatively and as inefficient<br />
in the eyes of foreign investors who would start their work and open new jobs. Most<br />
politicians have not recognized the burning problem in time. And when they do recognize<br />
it, they are in disagreement with each other in solving it, and time is not our friend<br />
in this situation.<br />
What is being publicly pointed out in the media is:<br />
— the complex administrative procedure to start your own business<br />
— unpredictable regulatory frame<br />
— labour taxation<br />
— lack of adequate workforce.<br />
These are limiting factors and they require complex and faster reforms.<br />
When one of the limiting factors is the lack of adequate workforce, we have to seriously<br />
wonder where our valuable and competent workforce has left. Someone is<br />
guilty of it. We are still not doing anything. The professional public is silent, politicians<br />
disagree and blame each other, and buses filled with educated and valuable people<br />
leave to never return.<br />
The government has tried acting by presenting nine employment measures. The<br />
measures were used by about 45,000 people. These were just immediate measures that<br />
did not stop the wave of young people leaving. Self-employment as the most popular<br />
measure did not yield the expected results.<br />
Self-employment was used by more than 7,000 unemployed people who faced<br />
problems related to the repressive taxation system (state budgeting required 2,000.00<br />
kn of taxes for a wage of 4,000.00 kn), the impossibility of placing the product to the<br />
market, the inability to collect the payment for goods. It is clear that measures do not<br />
have give the expected results in their first year, but if we take into account the time<br />
lag since their introduction, their implementation has not shown any breakthroughs.<br />
What is systematically opposed is the insufficient connection between the labour<br />
market and the education system means that enrollment should be allowed to focus on<br />
the education of persons with defective occupations where possible following a professional<br />
orientation.<br />
The demographic question in the Republic of Croatia should be understood as a<br />
burning issue and should be tried to solve it adequately.<br />
Still, departure of a working active population does not stop.<br />
To stop the trend of mass emigration of the population from the Republic of Croatia<br />
and begin the process of revitalizing the demographic image of the Republic of<br />
Croatia, new and urgent demographic measures are needed.<br />
We must not allow, as the Croatian president emphasised, people of Croatia to<br />
search for a decent life in Germany and Ireland. The president has proposed four sets<br />
of measures for revitalization and demographic renewal. These measures are:<br />
1. Economic measures<br />
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A. PetriËeviÊ: An Impact of Emigration and Negative Demographic Trends...<br />
2. Measures addressing the issue of citizens with frozen bank accounts<br />
3. Measures of family policy<br />
4. Measures of immigration.<br />
Indeed, revitalization of the economy is a key measure. But as mentioned before,<br />
it is inevitable to carry out a tax reform. The repressive tax system, fiscal policy, and<br />
the inertia of public administration destroy businesses before they even open. Each system<br />
states ineffective public administration as a negative element. Analyzing the reform<br />
of the Croatian public administration in a wider context, I. KopriÊ (2008) highlights the<br />
problem of orientation, that is, it is obvious... “weak public administration capacity to<br />
shape and maintain quality long-term public policy” (KopriÊ, 2008: 51).<br />
Within the framework of the first economic measure, the president proposed to<br />
reduce the cost of labour and business for employers and thus increase the net salary<br />
of employees.<br />
For public administration, she pointed out that professionals should be placed on<br />
certain jobs, there should be no employment on the grounds of family relations, friendship,<br />
affiliation to a particular party, and participation in various lobbies, or something<br />
that is not related to excellence in the job for which one is competing. A thorough public<br />
administration reform is needed for the administration to be a citizen service center<br />
rather than a repressive apparatus.<br />
In the implementation of measures addressing the issues of citizens with frozen<br />
bank accounts there are many situations to be considered. Firstly, enforcement proceedings<br />
should be brought back to the jurisdiction of courts to avoid paying for the<br />
proceedings to notaries and FINA.<br />
When it comes to family policy, the emphasis is on encouraging births and increased<br />
remuneration during maternity and parental leave, as well as better entitlement<br />
to receive child allowance.<br />
The group of Beæovan, ©uÊur and ZrinπËak, give guidelines regarding family policy<br />
measures in the book Social Policy Systems, where in the distant year of 2000 they<br />
say that they can fundamentally distinguish the three instruments through which the<br />
state helps families.<br />
The first instrument is money (various family benefits). Another instrument is family<br />
services (care and support). The third instrument is time made available to the employed<br />
family members (leaves) which strives to reconcile professional and family responsibilities.<br />
(Puljiz, in Beæovan, G., ©uÊur, Z., ZrinπËak, S., 2000: 177.)<br />
Five years later the same authors point to the Council Recommendation (then the<br />
European Community) and say: “This Recommendation focuses on family policy, and<br />
suggests improving the provision of the most vulnerable families, supporting the maintenance<br />
of children, encouraging women's reintegration into the labour market after<br />
raising children, and enabling a successful reconciliation of family and professional responsibilities.<br />
In recent years, the focus of European family policy has been to harmonize<br />
family and external employment commitments. This is the consequence of the in-<br />
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creasingly widespread belief that employing women and equal care of both parents for<br />
the family today is the most acceptable model for most families. This implies a more<br />
ambitious policy of supporting families with young children, or creating a “family<br />
friendly environment” (Puljiz, V. in Beæovan, G., ©uÊur, Z., ZrinπËak, S., 2005: p. 349.)<br />
And the last president’s measure refers to the immigration of any Croatians who<br />
return to their homeland but also to other immigrants in order to create a platform for<br />
turning the demographic trends.<br />
This Strategy should be adopted by February 2019. This is a serious job that needs<br />
to be accessed responsibly and systematically.<br />
6. DETAILS OF CONDUCTING FAMILY POLICY AND<br />
EMPLOYMENT THROUGH A SHORTER HISTORY<br />
If we look at the events of 1938 in France after World War I, we will see the following:<br />
“Over the years, the system of family add-ons has expanded and improved. The<br />
‘Law Decree’ further promotes family policy driven by the fear of decline in the birth<br />
rate. Even then, work, family and homeland meant a pillar of social organization.” (Puljiz,<br />
1997: 79)<br />
If we look further, in 2006 professor ZrinπËak in his work “Social policy in the context<br />
of rooting social transformation of post-communist countries” highlighted the following:<br />
“Although the area of labor and employment has undergone numerous and<br />
radical transformations, the story of it has not yet ended. The problems of self-employment,<br />
entrepreneurship, active policies and labor market flexibility are still the issues<br />
all post-communist countries face and will face.” (ZrinπËak, S., 2006: 206)<br />
So, from 2006 until <strong>2018</strong>, this issue in our area has only begun to be solved. We<br />
are slow and inert. Certainly, we have to change if it is not too late.<br />
7. CONCLUSION<br />
Demographic problems in the Republic of Croatia are great and the establishment of<br />
the independent Ministry of Demography is a necessity.<br />
It is necessary for the new ministry to respect the measures of the president and<br />
the government in their integrity and complexity as well as opinions of the professional<br />
public in dealing with demographic issues.<br />
But as transitional solutions until measures are taken, it would be necessary to<br />
stop the people from leaving the country in any way we can:<br />
— To revive the economy and then open up new jobs, either through self-employment<br />
measures of the domestic population, or by means of foreign investors<br />
— Reduce to a minimum the repressive tax policy<br />
— Distribute quality land to the unemployed to produce healthy food<br />
— Reduce the import of poor quality food<br />
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Books<br />
— Use EU projects more<br />
— Implement a housing policy reform<br />
— Allow young entrepreneurs who have completed their education and are full<br />
of knowledge and creative ideas to start their own business with the help of<br />
EU Structural Funds.<br />
References<br />
Akrap, A. & »ipin, I. (2012). Hrvatska u europskim demografskim kontrastima: analiza fertiliteta,<br />
Zagreb: Centar za demokraciju i pravo Miko Tripalo, p. 233.<br />
Puljiz, V. (Beæovan, G. & ©uÊur, Z. & ZrinπËak, S.) (2000). Revija za socijalnu politiku, Zagreb:<br />
Sustavi socijalne politike, p. 177.<br />
Puljiz, V. (Beæovan, G. & ©uÊur, Z. & ZrinπËak, S.) (2005). Socijalna politika, Zagreb: Mjere<br />
obiteljske politike, p. 349.<br />
Puljiz, V. (Beæovan, G., MatkoviÊ, T., ©uÊur, Z., ZrinπËak, S.) (2008). Socijalna politika Hrvatske:<br />
Zagreb: Demografske promjene, zaposlenost i kvaliteta æivota hrvatske obitelji, p. 286.<br />
Articles<br />
Beæovan, G. (2009). Civilno druπtvo i javna uprava kao dionici razvoja. Hrvatska javna uprava, 2,<br />
365, Zagreb.<br />
Nesporova, E. (2006). Zaπto je nezaposlenost i dalje tako visoka u srednjoj i istoËnoj Europi?<br />
<strong>Zbornik</strong> Socijalna dræava u 21. stoljeÊu — privid ili stvarnost? Pravni fakultet SveuËiliπta u<br />
Zagrebu, p. 279.<br />
Puljiz, V. (1997). Socijalne reforme zapada — od milosrapplea do socijalne dræave. Revija za socijalnu<br />
politiku, 1, 79, Zagreb.<br />
ZrinπËak, S. (2006). Socijalna politika u kontekstu korjenite druπtvene transformacije<br />
postkomunistiËkih zemalja. <strong>Zbornik</strong> Socijalna dræava u 21. stoljeÊu — privid ili stvarnost?<br />
Pravni fakultet SveuËiliπta u Zagrebu, p. 206.<br />
593
Anett RÁCZ, Gergő ZILIZI<br />
VIRTUAL REALITY AIDED HISTORICAL<br />
EXHIBITION AND MONUMENT<br />
RECONSTRUCTION<br />
ABOUT THE APPLICATION IN GENERAL<br />
The aim of this project was to develop a VR aided tourist and educational application<br />
that draws the attention of users with its spectacular scene and realistic VR experience.<br />
The quality of the visualization is the key component when we want to attract attention.<br />
A VR application requires enormous technological effort for its smooth running<br />
and good quality. An important part of this project was optimizing the computational<br />
power without damaging the quality. So, the program can run on any computer that<br />
meets the requirements of Oculus Rift.<br />
Our program, named “Vis comes true”, is a virtual tour on the island of Vis. It introduces<br />
four of the cultural and touristic attractions of the site. Further places can be<br />
added to the program easily.<br />
TOURISTIC PURPOSES<br />
VR makes it possible to see the now damaged monuments in their original condition<br />
and VR applications allow us to enter buildings that are closed to the public because<br />
of renovation or conservation. These applications may motivate people to visit the places<br />
they saw in VR earlier.<br />
An interactive VR tourist application, such as our program, provides much more<br />
than a regular printed brochure. It is more spectacular, informative and entertaining.<br />
Using the concept of interactive learning, users can acquire information easier than<br />
from a printed flyer. It can have a larger impact on users and make them become potential<br />
visitors.<br />
We mainly focus on the younger generation. Experiments show that they accommodate<br />
to the virtual reality easier and that motion sickness (Hettinger & Riccio, 1992)<br />
rarely occurs among them. This program is not suitable for people who feel dizzy, or<br />
experience headache or stomach problems because of the VR headset.<br />
SCENES OF THE VIRTUAL TOUR<br />
As we have never been to Vis before, we chose to implement the attractions based on<br />
touristic websites. Considering the reviews, historical data and popularity, we selected<br />
the following four attractions to be included in the virtual tour.<br />
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VERN' Island School — MIC-Vis<br />
Figure 1 Navigation board in the first scene<br />
As our program was presented in the MIC — Mediterranean Islands Conference, which<br />
was held in the building of VERN’ Island School, we decided to start the virtual tour<br />
from there.<br />
Currently the program includes a navigation board and a technologically simple<br />
environment. Stepping into the VR may be confusing and strange for people who have<br />
never tried it before. So we decided to start the tour at a simple site with less motion<br />
possibilities, with a sea view and a familiar street view. As an introduction into VR, users<br />
can practice how to use the motion controller, the navigation board and how to<br />
navigate and move in the virtual environment.<br />
St. Nicholas Monastery — Komiæa<br />
After a player gets acquainted with the controls of the program, they can continue the<br />
tour. Second station is the St. Nicholas Monastery in Komiæa. Modelling this building<br />
and its site in VR was quite a challenge.<br />
We tried to achieve the highest possible level of detail when it comes to the model<br />
of the building itself. This location is open from one side, but we placed some trees<br />
and close objects in larger number than in the real world to cover up the far surroundings<br />
of the church. That way we can get some performance that we can use to increase<br />
the detail on the structure.<br />
At this point we inserted an eye-catching attraction. Users can see and read about<br />
a centuries-long tradition in which locals burn a boat in front of the church to pay respect<br />
to their patron saint.<br />
Cave tour — Blue Cave, Green Cave<br />
There are two famous caves near the island of Vis, both with unique natural phenomena.<br />
The Green Cave is situated in the south-western part of the island of Ravnik. The<br />
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A. Rácz, G. Zilizi: Virtual Reality Aided Historical Exhibition and Monument...<br />
Figure 2 Model of St. Nicholas Monastery in Komiæa<br />
Figure 3 Animation of the centuries-long ritual of boat-burning<br />
cave gets its distinct green colour from the green algae that grow on its ceiling and<br />
walls, and whose colour is reflected in the see below. The Blue Cave is 5 nautical miles<br />
away from the town of Komiæa. The whole cave, its walls and the see, are gleaming<br />
with a unique silver-blue light. Those light effects are caused by sunrays that reach the<br />
cave through a small crack in the ceiling. The interior of the cave and the sea inside<br />
are illuminated by an indescribable silver-blue light. The incredible light effects are<br />
caused by the rays of the sun passing into a small crack in the ceiling of the cave.<br />
In this scene, players are in a virtual boat while calm music is playing in the background.<br />
Here we limited the interactions because of the moving vehicle. This can feel<br />
strange and a combination of this unusual movement with interactions can easily cause<br />
motion sickness. Therefore we focused on viewing pleasure and relaxation.<br />
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Figure 4 Cave tour<br />
Chapel of the Holy Spirit — Hum Mount<br />
When searching information about the island of Vis the sunset over Komiæa, viewed<br />
from mount Hum and from the Chapel of The Holy Spirit is definitely one of the first<br />
attractions you will find. We decided to implement this in the virtual tour. The breathtaking<br />
sunset and moonrise over Komiæa Bay became the final scene of our tour, with<br />
relaxing ambient music playing in the background.<br />
Based on some travel photos and Google street view snapshots we built the virtual<br />
model of the chapel and the surrounding area.<br />
From this site you can see a large part of the island, so it was challenging to<br />
achieve acceptable performance in VR. In order to build a convincing landscape, we<br />
modelled a lot of plants, rocks, and other environmental objects, and then we filled up<br />
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Figure 5 Model of the Chapel of the Holy Spirit
A. Rácz, G. Zilizi: Virtual Reality Aided Historical Exhibition and Monument...<br />
Figure 6 Comparison of reality and virtual reality<br />
the landscape with those models. We used LODs (Level Of Details) to minimize the<br />
necessary computation power. In short, we programmed these models to appear in different<br />
qualities depending on the distance from the user. Because the chapel itself is<br />
not that big, we did not have to compromise the quality of the building’s model.<br />
ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGICAL DETAILS OF THE APPLICATION<br />
We modelled the locations based on the gathered reference images. We had to pay<br />
special attention to keeping the complexity of the 3D models low in order to get better<br />
performance in VR. Except the main attractions, each model and their environment<br />
had LODs, i.e. different versions with varying complexity.<br />
In the program we set up the models to appear with high LOD when they are<br />
closer to the user. The LODs get lower when they get further away from the user.<br />
If the LOD is realised correctly, users cannot observe that the models of the further<br />
objects have lower quality. By using this trick, the necessary computational requirement<br />
can be reduced a lot, because the overall number of vertices in the scene is<br />
greatly reduced; especially in the cases where we had to use a lot of models to fill up<br />
the landscape.<br />
3D applications with big and detailed landscapes are graphically demanding, even<br />
in cases of regular applications. In case of VR, it is even harder to keep the hardware<br />
requirements low without compromising the visual fidelity.<br />
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Creating such a huge landscape by hand would be nearly impossible, so we had<br />
to find another approach.<br />
In the digital archive of NASA we found a freely available heightmap of the Earth’s<br />
surface, which was captured during the 2000 SRTM (Space Radar Topography Mission).<br />
By using a tool called World Machine and Unreal Engine we generated the digital representation<br />
of the island, based on the height maps.<br />
By using this technique we were able to make a perfect virtual copy of the real<br />
landscape.<br />
To make realising a VR application of this scale possible, we divided the landscape<br />
into smaller tiles.<br />
We configured the application to display only the necessary (i.e. actually seen by<br />
the user) tiles of the landscape at each location. Because of the limitations of commercially<br />
available computers, we never display the entire island, as it would be nearly impossible<br />
in VR with the intended 90 frames per second.<br />
EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS<br />
The aim of this application was to call the attention and provide an informative and<br />
spectacular tour of a touristic attraction. Our application can motivate users more than<br />
a regular brochure to make a real visit to the places that were introduced in the virtual<br />
tour. It also makes it possible to take a look at the natural and cultural heritage of<br />
Vis for users all around the world.<br />
We presented our application at the MIC-Vis conference, mainly for attendants<br />
who had previous experience with the mentioned scenes. Their opinion was that the<br />
application can give a true sense of the size and the atmosphere of the places. They<br />
found it very realistic.<br />
We provided the chance to try the application at another event in Hungary, at the<br />
University of Debrecen. The program was tested by people who had never been to Vis<br />
before. We asked for reviews and asked users whether they would like to visit the is-<br />
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Figure 7 Tiled landscape
A. Rácz, G. Zilizi: Virtual Reality Aided Historical Exhibition and Monument...<br />
land. We found that, while experiencing this interactive virtual environment, users became<br />
more curious about additional information and interesting stories.<br />
The tour had a deep impact on both group of users. They found the application<br />
very attractive and spectacular. To achieve this, we had to ensure the appropriate visual<br />
quality with sustainable computational requirement. That is why we paid a lot of<br />
attention to performance optimization.<br />
We are considering implementing further scenes in this tour, and also plan to develop<br />
other similar virtual tours in cooperation with tourism experts.<br />
References<br />
BoæaniÊ, J. & BuljubaπiÊ, E. (2012). The Ritual of Boat Incineration on the Island of Vis, Croatia: an<br />
Interpretation. International Journal of Intangible Heritage, 7, 15-30. Available at<br />
http://www.ijih.org<br />
Hettinger, L. J. & Riccio, G. E. (1992). Visually Induced Motion Sickness in Virtual Environments,<br />
Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 1(3), 306-310.<br />
©akiÊ, V. & Rihtar, S. & Crljen, M. (2017). Who Goes Where? A Comparative Profile of Domestic<br />
Guests of Croatian Islands and Other Types of Locations. In JurËeviÊ, K., Kaliterna LipovËan,<br />
L. & Ramljak, O. Imagining the Mediterranean: Challenges and Perspective. Paper presented<br />
at: MIC-Vis, 2016 conference, Vis (129-133). Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Vern Group,<br />
Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Euro-Mediterranean Academic Network.<br />
Unreal Engine, full product suite for VR/AR developers,https://www.unrealengine.com<br />
World Machine: The Premier 3D Terrain Generator, https://www.world-machine.com/<br />
601
Mariusz SAMORAJ<br />
CULTURE AND TRADITION AS A<br />
SOURCE IN REGIONAL EDUCATION IN<br />
CHOSEN PARTS OF POLAND<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
The aim of the article is to point diagnosis about roots of our civilization in crisis and<br />
find educational solutions in the area of regional, local, and intercultural education, education<br />
for community with the care of Planet Earth as Our Common Home. The article<br />
is an attempt to describe regional and intercultural education, the contemporary<br />
landscape of Kurpie regional culture, but also a presentation of the culture-forming activities<br />
of the Kurpiowski Society “Strzelc”; of the Folk Group “Carniacy”, led by local<br />
animators as well as numerous multi-generational Kurpie families.<br />
The basic inspiration for the article is an analysis of contemporary problems in our<br />
global civilisation which is currently in a crisis. I found support for thinking about the<br />
ecological, social, moral and educational problems of our time, in consumerist society,<br />
in the Encyclical of the Holy Father Francis titled “Laudato Si’: On care of our common<br />
Home” (Francis, 2015).<br />
Hypothesis: In addition to natural heritage, historical, artistic, cultural and educational<br />
heritage of the world is also under threat. An attempt to emerge from the impasse<br />
is the idea of the revival of humanity and humanistic values through regional and<br />
intercultural education, as well as socio-political and “cultural ecology” and ecumenism,<br />
which is postulated by the Holy Father Francis in His Encyclical “Laudato Si'. For<br />
the sake of the common home”.<br />
Pope Francis, referring to the earlier Encyclicals of Pope John Paul II, states: “All<br />
care and striving to improve the world requires profound changes in lifestyles, consumption<br />
and production models, and the established structures of power on which<br />
society is based today. The true development of man's moral character and full respect<br />
for the human person should also be directed towards the natural world and take into<br />
account the nature of every being and their interconnectedness in an orderly system”<br />
(Francis 2015, p. 7). What is needed is world citizenship and concern for the common<br />
Land of the Homeland, which is emphasized by M. C. Nusbaum in her work “In care<br />
of humanity” (M. C. Nusbaum 2008, p. 122).<br />
Contemporary consumerist society is not conducive to such a renewal of the human<br />
civilization and “integral ecology”. This issue is discussed by Peter Sloterdijk in the<br />
book The Critic of a Cynical Mind. German philosopher, describing moral problems of<br />
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our time in consumerist civilization and Cynical Mind: both older and younger generations<br />
(Peter Sloterdijk, 2008).<br />
Cynical consumerist civilization is also described by Georg Ritzer in his book Mc<br />
Donaldization of Society. (Georg Ritzer, 1997)<br />
Great educational reports by UNESCO are important inspirations for societies of<br />
educational systems of educators and social reformers. It is worth to mention some activities<br />
on a global scale, such as the Decade of Cultural Development in 1988—1997,<br />
and the report by the World Commission on Culture and Development and Javier Perez<br />
de Cuellar, titled “Our Creative Diversity”. I. Wojnar draws attention to the three<br />
links from the report “... our, i. e. emphasizing the community, this third identity of<br />
people; creative, i. e. co-shaped by people living in the world, by the human factor,<br />
which is at the basis of all development tendencies, the driving force and fundamental;<br />
finally, diversity, which refers to identity” (Wojnar, 2000, p. 107) The pedagogical<br />
way to implement the demands of the report is through regional and intercultural education.<br />
Regional education, local, environmental education are all activities that convey<br />
knowledge about the “private homeland” and shape ties with it, as J. Nikitorowicz<br />
writes, “with the world of primary rooting”. It introduces people to each other, shaping<br />
the ability of coexistence, cooperation and continuous involvement in a small<br />
homeland, at the same time ensuring cultural continuity of the group through equipping<br />
it with knowledge, sensitization to universal values based on local ties (Nikitorowicz<br />
2009, p. 502).<br />
Regional education is connected with landscape, architecture, monuments of spiritual<br />
and material culture, dialect (local), folklore legends, folk art, local heroes (significant<br />
people) and events, contacts between people, intergenerational message, customs<br />
of the community, contact with nature, etc.” (Nikitorowicz, 2009, p. 502, 503).<br />
The vision of local education is complemented by intercultural education based<br />
on a dialogue between emphatic cultures, the process of development of multicultural<br />
society, a society that creates the citizens of the Earth. J. Nikitorowicz treats intercultural<br />
education as: “all processes of formal and informal education influencing the shaping<br />
of principles and attitudes of open interaction between representatives of different<br />
cultures, as a result of which they acquire the ability to resolve conflicts in a dialogical<br />
way and make peaceful coexistence a reality” (Nikitorowicz, 2009, p. 502).<br />
A dialogue between cultures, regional education and intercultural education are<br />
the basis for shaping the humanistic development of citizens of the Earth and the culture<br />
of peace.<br />
METHODS<br />
The research material was collected through the use of cyclic ethnographic research,<br />
using a bundle of methods, including diagnostic survey, narrative interviews, biographical<br />
method, analysis of documents and visual ethnography. All these methods were in<br />
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M. Samoraj: Culture and Tradition as a Source in Regional Education...<br />
use during the observations of folk activities of local community over about 20 years<br />
of my research.<br />
Data analysis — description: thanks to local activity, e.g. a school of folk musicians,<br />
a new perspective of survival and development of traditional culture, and at the<br />
same time local development, was created. The created cultural landscape reveals the<br />
spokespeople of regional education and presents the “ritual year in Kurpie”, taking into<br />
account various dimensions of cultural expression concerning folk art, dance, traditional<br />
songs, craftsmanship, rituals and visual arts, ritual spectacles, celebrations of holidays<br />
in an unusual folklore setting in various Kurpie communities.<br />
MORAL PROBLEMS OF OUR TIME IN CONSUMERIST SOCIETY<br />
Contemporary era of cynicism is in contrast to education inspired by ancient philosophy<br />
of Diogenes — “kynismus” and its interpretation by Peter Sloterdijk included in the<br />
book The Critic of a Cynical Mind. The kynical and cynical attitudes were recognized<br />
by the German philosopher Peter Sloterdijk. Contemporary pedagogy and various areas<br />
of education require dedicated attitude of teachers and animators of culture and social<br />
activities. What is extremely important is educating the young intellectual elite in<br />
the country, especially in the regional perspective. Young educationalists, organizers<br />
responsible for the regional education, have to face cynical consumerist society. They<br />
need to develop creative and culture creative abilities. There have been many successful<br />
activities in the area of cultural development and regional education such as the<br />
“Little homeland — tradition for the future” event. It showed that it is possible for<br />
young people to be mature enough to understand traditional values and to transfer<br />
them into the future. Shaping intellectual elite of the country requires independent,<br />
nonconformist attitudes which are aware of contemporary threats/risks of civilization,<br />
such as the spirituality crisis or consumerism described in “Consumed: How Markets<br />
Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults and Swallow Citizens Whole” by B. R. Barber. An<br />
example of such nature of shaping results from the new interpretation of cynicism can<br />
be found in The Critique of Cynical Reason by Peter Sloterdijk. According to him, contemporary<br />
cynicism is destructive; he understands cynicism as false consciousness and<br />
values the original, thought provoking kynical attitude which rejects falsehood. Today<br />
it is difficult to find such an attitude, as most people have been tamed by the power<br />
of knowledge and the world is full of cynics, blended in with the crowd of conformists,<br />
who believe that ‘to be is to remain in the labour market”. They feel it’s better not<br />
to stand out, better to be no-one than an outsider. Present-day cynics are the product<br />
of mass media and large cities. They tend to hide their fears in order to remain on the<br />
surface of a specific life standard. Grass-roots attempts to change the society (typical<br />
for the sixties) failed. For this reason, we need another social change inspired by the<br />
kynic attitude so that the “world becomes a place of truth.” (Samoraj, 2009)<br />
Cynical consumption civilization is widely described by Georg Ritzer in his book<br />
McDonaldization of Society. Products of McWorld, baubles and fashion distract us from<br />
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our basic senses, culture and our own roots. Thinking about relationships between humans<br />
from the level of loyalty to their own culture is made harder by intrusive marketing<br />
of media providing pop cultural products which are replacing family cultural landscape<br />
because loyalty is viewed as a social handicap, degradation. “Tame places” are<br />
disappearing and so are the values of “home culture”, regional; urbanization of “little<br />
homelands” is often coming under to trashy models of so-called modernity. “Home<br />
warmth”, the basis of safety and power, disappears and inter-generational transmission<br />
of inheritance fades or is made much harder. That is why humanistic education, modern<br />
pedagogy of culture might include effective social interventions in order for young<br />
generations not to lose contact with the cultural values of “past times”. Schools, environmental<br />
education, councils, cultural institutions and associations which have legal<br />
fixing or play some sort of a role in the regional syllabus — part of Regional Education<br />
— cultural Heritage in regions play an important role. The purpose of regional education<br />
is an expansion of local culture, creating conditions for a dialogue between<br />
young generations and cultural heritage, forming pride of history, culture, art and tradition<br />
of the little homeland. Encounters of children and young people with the “past<br />
times” should have attractive forms rather than tedious exhibits in museums and should<br />
be based on adventures, legends, fabulousness, narration in various art media stimulating<br />
imagination, creative and cognitive activities organized around traditional values.<br />
An interesting example of these types of activities are initiatives of regional museums<br />
or heritage parks where presentations of folk cultures, folk groups, regional bands, craft<br />
workshops for children and young people connected with tasting regional dishes and<br />
dancing workshop are taking place. (Samoraj, 2009)<br />
THE FUTURE IS IN OUR HANDS<br />
I. Wojnar, arising discussion meetings held every year on the theme of “Areas of humanistic<br />
concern”:<br />
“The quality of man seems to be endangered by their disturbing ‘mediocrity’ of<br />
the Burning Truth and the question of the sense of humanistic ‘being human’ in the<br />
times of their ‘destructive and cruel self-alienation’ [...]”. (Wojnar, 2016)<br />
The world can, on the one hand, be exemplified by barbaric and bloody terrorist<br />
attacks, and on the other hand, by isolation from immigrants, reduction of solidarity reflexes,<br />
crisis of community, steering towards a “closed society”. Tolerance and dialogue<br />
in culturally diverse environments require new social and political strategies, because<br />
the policy for multiculturalism in Europe ended in tragic events — a series of terrorist<br />
attacks in France, Belgium, UK; the Manchester attack at Ariana Grande's concert on 22<br />
May 2017, with at least 22 dead and 59 injured, which is an inhumanity to the young<br />
generation of Europeans and at the same time the tragic dimension of the barbarity of<br />
our time and the threat to the democratic governance of societies, not only in Europe,<br />
which is in a crisis, but also throughout the world. The exploitation of children for assassination<br />
purposes is horrifying. On August 2016 the Islamic state threw the so-called<br />
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M. Samoraj: Culture and Tradition as a Source in Regional Education...<br />
“caliphate puppies” into the battle. The problem of child soldiers is the most tragic<br />
manifestation of the crisis of humanity in our times. Today's wars and terrorist attacks<br />
involved 300,000 children between the ages of 7 and 17. This is an example of the permanent<br />
enslavement of the world by terrorism.<br />
The bomber, aged only 12, blew himself up at a Kurdish wedding killing 51 people,<br />
22 of whom were children, the youngest being three months old. We have to stop<br />
the tragic dimension of the barbarity and start building a culture of peace in the minds<br />
of people. An important inspiration in shaping a culture of peace in the world through<br />
education and dialogue of cultures is the UNESCO report under the direction of Javier<br />
Perez de Cuellar, titled “Our creative Diversity” (1996). It is worth recalling the appeals<br />
of Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis on care of our common home. On October 27<br />
1986 The Holy Father John Paul II organized a “prayer” meeting of all religions in the<br />
famous Franciscan basilica of Assisi. Representatives of 130 religions were invited to a<br />
joint “prayer” for peace. The Holy Father Francis continues the ecumenical meetings of<br />
John Paul II. He also expresses concern for the Earth in his encyclical “On care of our<br />
common Home”.<br />
To continue thoughts on the care of our common home, J. Nikitorowicz postulates<br />
educational activities aimed at the development of an open identity in a situation of<br />
multiculturalism and multicultural society, where active citizenship in a situation of liberalism<br />
should be promoted from the individual, family, local and parish, regional, national,<br />
state, continental and global perspective.<br />
We build intercultural identity against the passivity of separatism and closed identity<br />
and against ethnocentrism thanks to personal identity of “I”, social acceptance and<br />
acceptance of “Us”, awareness of belonging to many “Us”, thanks to integration,<br />
through recognition of cultural models, dialogue and negotiation, cooperation and interaction,<br />
in the perspective of high self-esteem, a sense of value, dignity, in the perspective<br />
of multiculturalism. We build it against ethnocentrism, megalomania, nationalism,<br />
cultural conflicts, etc. (Nikitorowicz 2009, p. 390).<br />
CONSUMERISM<br />
McDonaldization of Society by Georg Ritzer<br />
Products of McWorld, baubles, and fashion distract us from our basic senses, culture<br />
and our own roots. Thinking about relationships between humans from the level of<br />
loyalty to their own culture is made harder by intrusive marketing of media providing<br />
pop cultural products which are replacing family cultural landscape because loyalty is<br />
viewed as a social handicap, a degradation. “Tame places” are disappearing so as values<br />
of “home culture”, regional; urbanization of “little homelands” is often coming under<br />
to trashy models of so-called modernity. “Home warmth”, the basis of safety and<br />
power disappears; inter-generational transmission of inheritance fades or is made much<br />
harder. That is why humanistic education, modern pedagogy of culture might include<br />
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effective social intervention in order for young generations not to lose contact with the<br />
cultural values of “past times”. Schools, environmental education, councils, cultural institutions<br />
and associations which have legal fixing or play some sort of a role in the regional<br />
syllabus — part of regional education — cultural heritage in regions play an important<br />
role. The purpose of regional education is an expansion of local culture, creating<br />
conditions for a dialogue between young generations and cultural heritage, forming<br />
pride in history, culture, art and tradition of the little homeland. Encounters of children<br />
and young people with “past times” should have attractive forms rather than tedious<br />
exhibits in museums and should be connected with adventure, legends, fabulousness,<br />
narration in various art media stimulating imagination, creative and cognitive<br />
activities organized around traditional values. An interesting example of these types of<br />
activities are initiatives of regional museums or heritage parks where presentations of<br />
folk cultures, folk groups, regional bands and craft workshops for children and young<br />
people together with tasting regional dishes and dancing workshop are taking place<br />
(Samoraj, 2009).<br />
Regional education in Kurpie<br />
Due to globalization processes — unification of culture and the expansion of pop culture<br />
— art and regional culture are disappearing. There are regions in Poland that have<br />
lost their traditional cultural landscape, but there are also unusual “islands of traditional<br />
and local culture”. This is what Kurpie Culture is like.<br />
It is important to quote the definition of Regional Education: “Regional education<br />
(local education) — environmental education, all activities transferring knowledge<br />
about the ‘private homeland’ and shaping bonds with it, with the world of primary rootedness.<br />
It reaches out to man, shaping the ability of coexistence, cooperation and continuous<br />
involvement in the ‘little homeland’, at the same time ensuring the cultural continuity<br />
of the group by equipping it with knowledge. The aim is to raise awareness of<br />
universal values on the basis of local ties. The contents of regional education are related<br />
to landscape, architecture, monuments of spiritual and material culture, dialects,<br />
folklore, legends, folk art, history, local heroes (significant people) and events, peopleto-people<br />
contacts, intergenerational message, community customs and contact with<br />
nature” (J. Nikitorowicz, 2009).<br />
Regional education in Kurpie is an example of creating an educational environment<br />
from the perspective of valuable life. In 1991 Witold Kuczyński from Czarnia recreated<br />
the “Kurpie Shooter” Association, which has existed since 1935. He cultivated<br />
the folk traditions of Kurpie in his family and organized folk choir groups and a children<br />
folk dancing group “Carniacy” in the primary school where he was a teacher.<br />
“Carniacy” and the folk choir groups made a lot of concerts and presentations of folk<br />
Kurpie style wedding ceremony in folk dresses. In the last ten years they did hundreds<br />
of concerts, not only in the Kurpie Region but also some big presentations of their heritage<br />
in Warsaw in a well-known “Polish Theatre”. Witold is the director of the Gym-<br />
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M. Samoraj: Culture and Tradition as a Source in Regional Education...<br />
nasium in Czarnia Commune and has also been the teacher of folk classes for last 10<br />
years. He is currently running a folk-rock group with Gymnasium students called “The<br />
Band of Father Zeno”, which is very popular in the region. Modern music creations<br />
with students are the way to encourage young Kurpie generations to cultivate tradition.<br />
Witold Kuczyński is an extremely active social worker in the Czarnia Commune and<br />
plays the culture creation role in the Kurpie Little Homeland. The spokespeople for the<br />
transmission of cultural heritage, the continuation of Kurpie culture and regional education<br />
are: traditional Kurpie families, folk artists, educational activists, cultural animators,<br />
priests, The Kurpie Association, people active in the Kurpie Society “Shooter” and<br />
in the Folklore Group “Carniacy”, currently consisting of about 67 people. The idea of<br />
saving traditional local culture from oblivion, spreading the tradition and also creating<br />
a “new tradition” were realized, among others, thanks to the School of Folk Musicians<br />
and Brother Zeno's Band and the cultural activity of the band “Carniacy”. Education in<br />
Kurpie is specific Pedagogy of Place. (Samoraj, 2016)<br />
K. Kossak-Gĺówczewski is currently proposing to turn to the critical pedagogy of<br />
place. He claims that the category determining educational activity is not multiculturalism,<br />
but place. He refers to two determinants described by A. Greenwood: decolonization<br />
and reinhabitation. “Reinhabitation means a process that is deeply rooted in ecology,<br />
learning to live anew (to live “good” ecologically and socially in a place that has<br />
been damaged by previous human activity). Decolonization, as a complement to reinhabitation,<br />
involves learning to identify the damage done in a given place and to act<br />
against its negative effects.” (Kossak-Gĺówczewski 2015, pp. 27-28)<br />
RESULTS<br />
20 years of field research has shown that Kurpie's little homeland presents exemplary<br />
activities for regional education, and the prospects for local development are promising.<br />
Methods of local development, activation of citizens and specific regional education<br />
should be disseminated throughout Poland as well as in other countries. They<br />
should create better development prospects for “small cultural islands” and regions for<br />
the continuation of their tradition of development and entering into dialogue with other<br />
cultures, so that local development will result in the global development of the human<br />
society in the sense of sustainable development, ecological actions, saving nature<br />
and health of the inhabitants, humanisation of life, fruitful education of younger generation<br />
in the light of human values, culture of peace and prosperous life of all regions<br />
of our planet.<br />
Discussion: decolonisation and re-habitation, as well as the development of intercultural<br />
identity, are prerequisites for the sustainable development of world regions.<br />
Intercultural identity, as J. Nikitorowicz writes, is: “the creative effort of the subject,<br />
alleviating tensions and contradictions between fixed, inherited, resulting from social<br />
anchoring in the family and local community, with identification with individuals<br />
and significant groups, symbols and indigenous values, and variable elements acquired<br />
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and resulting from interaction of experiences of participation in culture and social structures,<br />
in the world of the market, assimilated and recognised values, as well as humanistic<br />
and normative-legal attitudes” (Nikitorowicz 2009, p. 517).<br />
Elements of shaping intercultural identity include the described activities of regional<br />
animators and educators, artistic families, folklore groups and regional associations<br />
in the Kurpie region, which I described in this article.<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
I propose that an inter-subject path containing the content of regional and intercultural<br />
education be introduced into the current basis of the general education programme.<br />
It should serve to educate the community, bring cultures and people closer together,<br />
shape identities linked to cultural roots and provide an educational starting point<br />
for developing the capacity to move beyond cultural borders to intercultural identities.<br />
References<br />
B. R. Barber (2008) “Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults and Swallow<br />
Citizens Whole”, polish edition, Skonsumowani Jak rynek psuje dzieci, infantylizuje dorosĺych<br />
i poĺyka obywateli, Warszawa, MUZA SA.<br />
Francis Holy Father (2015) in the Encyclical of Holy Father Francis Laudato Si’ — “In the care of<br />
common Home”, Polish edition, Kraków, M Wydawnictwo.<br />
Nikitorowicz J. (ed.) (1997), Rodzina wobec wyzwań edukacji międzykulturowej, Biaĺystok, Trans<br />
Humana.<br />
Nikitorowicz J. (2005), Kreowanie tożsamości dziecka, Gdańsk, Gdańskie Wydawnictwo<br />
Psychologiczne.<br />
Nikitorowicz J. (2009), Edukacja regionalna i międzykulturowa, Warszawa, Wydawnictwa<br />
Akademickie i Profesjonalne.<br />
Nikitorowicz J. (<strong>2018</strong>), “Etnopedagogika w kontekście wielokulturowości i ustawicznie ksztaĺtującej<br />
się tożsamości”, Kraków, Impuls.<br />
Nusbaum M. C. (2008), In the care of humanity, W trosce o czĺowieczeństwo, polish edition<br />
Wrocĺaw, Wydawnictwo Naukowe Dolnośląskiej Szkoĺy Wyższej.<br />
Ritzer G. (1997), McDonaldization of Society, polish edition, Mcdonaldyzacja spoĺeczeństwa,<br />
Warszawa, MUZA SA.<br />
Samoraj M. (1999), Różne pĺaszczyzny wychowania ujawniające się w trakcie spotkań z kulturą i<br />
sztuką maĺych ojczyzn (na przykĺadzie animacji kurpiowskich, [in:] Nikitorowicz J., Sobecki<br />
M., Edukacja międzykulturowa w wymiarze instytucjonalnym, Biaĺystok, Trans Humana.<br />
Samoraj M. (2001), Kurpie: kultura ludowa i przekazywanie dziedzictwa kulturowego, [in:] Theiss<br />
W. (ed.) Maĺa ojczyzna, Warszawa, Wydawnictwo Akademickie “Żak”.<br />
Samoraj M. (2007), Values of Regional and Intercultural Education through Art Activity, [in:]<br />
Heidelberg, INSEA Congress “Horizons”.<br />
Samoraj M. (2010), Education Through Art. — From Regional Perspective to Education for<br />
European Community, [in:], Traces: Sustainable Art. Education, Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland<br />
The INSEA European Congress 2010.<br />
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M. Samoraj: Culture and Tradition as a Source in Regional Education...<br />
Samoraj M. (2011). Art. Education from a Cultural, Anthropological and Sociological Perspective.<br />
[in:] , Andrea Karpati and Emil Gaul [ed.], Art. — Space — Education, 33rd INSEA Word<br />
Congress, Budapest 26th June — 1st July 2011.<br />
Samoraj M. (2016), Zespóĺ Folklorystyczny „Carniacy” — perspektywa edukacji regionalnej,<br />
Warszawa, Pedagogika Spoĺeczna Nr 1 (59), pp. 199-218.<br />
Sloterdijk P. (2008), “The Critic of a Cynical Mind”, polish edition, Krytyka cynicznego rozumu,<br />
Wrocĺaw, Wydawnictwo Naukowe Dolnośląskiej Szkoĺy Wyższej.<br />
Wojnar I. (2000), Humanistyczne intencje edukacji, Warszawa Wydawnictwo Akademickie “Żak”.<br />
Wojnar I. (2016), Humanistyczne przesĺanki niepokoju, Warszawa, Dom Wydawniczy ELIPSA.<br />
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Rahaela VARGA, Anappleelka PEKO, Matea SABLJAK<br />
PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS' CONCERNS<br />
ABOUT MULTIGRADE TEACHING<br />
UNDERSTANDING MULTIGRADE TEACHING<br />
Classroom communities are made up of children with numerous individual differences<br />
when it comes to affective factors in the process of learning (PaviËiÊ TakaË & Varga,<br />
2011), but when demographic features are taken into account, the general rule of<br />
thumb is to group them in the most homogenous way possible. This especially refers<br />
to their age, which is linked to the abilities necessary for acquisition of the prescribed<br />
curriculum. In that way monograde classes are formed, i.e. classes in which a single<br />
teacher teaches a single grade at any given time (Berry & Little, 2006).<br />
There is another possibility to form classes which is contrasted to the previously<br />
described way of forming classes and it refers to heterogeneous grouping which results<br />
in multigrade classes. Such classes are also known as mixed-year, combination classes,<br />
vertical grouping, family grouping, composite classes, split classes, double-graded<br />
classes or unitary schools (Berry & Little, 2006). Simply put, a multigrade class is a class<br />
where two or more different grade levels study in one classroom with one teacher<br />
(Wolff & Garcia; and Cohen; as cited in Adepoju, 2009). No matter what they are called,<br />
such classes require multigrade teaching, denoting a situation in which one teacher is<br />
simultaneously responsible for two or more grades.<br />
Most common combinations include two classes, but there are sometimes three or<br />
even four classes working in a single classroom with just one teacher. LuËiÊ & MatijeviÊ<br />
(2004) recommend a classroom community consisting of less able (first or second<br />
graders) and more able students (third or four graders) so that a smoother switch between<br />
direct and indirect teaching can be organised. This means that children with<br />
more developed abilities, for example in reading or writing, can do tasks with minimal<br />
teacher’s assistance (indirect teaching), while the children with a lower level of ability<br />
(younger grade) get more of the teacher’s attention and support (direct teaching).<br />
A multigrade class is most commonly formed out of socio-economic necessity.<br />
There has been a decreasing number of primary school students in Croatia over a<br />
longer period of time. According to MatiÊ Roπko (2017), due to depopulation and a decreasing<br />
number of new-born children, Croatia has lost around 46 500 students in the<br />
last decade, which equals the size of a smaller town. This has affected primarily schools<br />
in rural areas and islands. Even though in such circumstances the number of students<br />
per class can be even smaller than the prescribed minimum, in order to prevent per-<br />
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manent closing of schools, many island schools, especially on islands with smaller population,<br />
turn to multigrade teaching.<br />
And this is not just a Croatian phenomenon. Barbetta, Sorrenti and Turati (<strong>2018</strong>)<br />
report that in the rest of Europe there are many areas that are generally characterised<br />
by low population density, deprivation, and abandonment by younger generations,<br />
where schools are likely to be the only institution left to revitalize those areas, and thus<br />
multigrade teaching is introduced. Islands are perceived by Adepoju (2009) as areas<br />
that require special attention when it comes to promotion of equality of educational<br />
opportunities. By introducing multigrade teaching in schools on islands, many children<br />
gain access to education that would be less accessible if the schools were closed. In<br />
addition, it brings the school closer to a community by bringing prosperity. Multigrade<br />
teaching is therefore sometimes introduced as the only viable school provision, as observed<br />
by Croft (2006). It is not surprising then that the number of multigrade classes<br />
is increasing worldwide (Khazaei et al., 2016).<br />
Nevertheless, their reputation remains rather negative among all stake-holders. An<br />
earlier study by Walsh (1989) detects negative attitudes of teachers, parents and students<br />
towards multigrade teaching, especially when it comes to the overall quality of<br />
teaching and educational effectiveness. Being the ones generally considered accountable<br />
for precisely those classroom features (quality of teaching and educational effectiveness),<br />
teachers seem to be well aware of many shortcomings of multigrade classes<br />
and therefore reluctant to work in them. Due to the general unpopularity of multigrade<br />
teaching, teachers perceive it to be the second-best option or a temporary career option,<br />
as they tend to seek transfer to larger schools with monograde classes nearer to<br />
urban centres (Birch and Lally, as cited in Little, 2001).<br />
Despite the fact that numerous authors report on positive features of multigrade<br />
teaching (e.g. Barbetta et al. <strong>2018</strong>; Lueven & Ronning, 2016), supported by the on-going<br />
trend of introducing multigrade teaching as a pedagogical choice in the developed<br />
countries where it does not represent the socio-economic necessity (Little, 2001), the<br />
potential negative effects continue to raise suspicion and cause concerns among experts.<br />
The most common teachers’ concerns refer to below average academic achievements<br />
of students in multigrade classes, which is a consequence of the limited time for<br />
teaching, and disruption of classroom activities by students of other grades (Khazaei et<br />
al., 2016).<br />
TEACHERS IN MULTIGRADE CLASSROOM<br />
It is a well-known fact that teachers play a significant role in any classroom, but their<br />
significance is even more prominent in a multigrade classroom. A meta-analytical study<br />
based on the bench-marking comparison made in 25 countries worldwide once again<br />
confirms that the quality of teaching is the key factor in understanding why some education<br />
systems are more successful than others, and the quality of teaching greatly depends<br />
on teacher competence (PalekËiÊ, 2008).<br />
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R. Varga, A. Peko, M. Sabljak: Pre-service Teachers’ Concerns about Multigrade Teaching<br />
There are some universal competences that all teachers should have in common<br />
regardless of the school profile or setting of their employment. Those refer to four major<br />
groups: subject-related competence, social competence, methodological competence,<br />
and self-competence (Frey, 2004). In other words, all teachers should share deep<br />
understanding of their subject, their own role in the classroom and children’s development.<br />
Apart from these mutual characteristics, and taking into account that the education<br />
system in Croatia consists of several levels (pre-school education, primary school,<br />
secondary school, higher education and further professional development.), each level<br />
requires teachers with a differentiated set of competences suitable for that particular<br />
stage of personal development (Primary and Secondary School Education Act, <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
In order to comprehend the significance that teachers bear in the process of multigrade<br />
teaching, one should take a step back so that the context of a specific education<br />
system can be taken into account. As is evident from the National Curriculum<br />
Framework (2011), the primary school education in Croatia comprises of two distinct<br />
parts: for the first four years (6/7-10/11-year-old) children are being educated by a single<br />
teacher who teaches all subjects (with a few exceptions regarding Religious Education<br />
and foreign language/s/), and after that (11/12-14/15 years of age) they are taught<br />
each subject by a different teacher. The professional profile of those teachers that children<br />
meet at the beginning of their schooling and the teachers they meet later is very<br />
different. The former must complete educational programmes that focus on child development<br />
and teaching approaches, where the latter focus on the subject matter of the<br />
scientific discipline they are interested in during their initial education and afterwards<br />
they specialise in education by completing a few courses on teaching.<br />
Education of primary school teachers who are employed in the first cycle has undergone<br />
numerous reforms in the last periods. According to HrvatiÊ and Pirπl (2007),<br />
until the mid-nineteenth century it was enough for teachers to know the subject without<br />
any pedagogical or didactic background whatsoever and it was not required to<br />
have knowledge of teaching strategies. Sometimes the only competence that separated<br />
them from the students was basic literacy (Peko et al., 2014). Initially, teacher education<br />
was organised in form of evening classes lasting for two weeks, which was eventually<br />
extended to a month, then to two, three, six and nine months, then to a year and<br />
finally to two years. It laid the foundation for the first teacher schools that evolved into<br />
colleges and universities nowadays. The duration of teacher education has continuously<br />
been prolonged over time (MijatoviÊ, 2005).<br />
In Croatia, university teacher education lasts for five years (master's degree) and<br />
it has the following features (HrvatiÊ & Pirπl, 2007): the focus is on academic knowledge,<br />
as well as on its transformation in real-life classroom situations; there is a certain<br />
flexibility in terms of modules and elective courses; it is open to innovations and implementation<br />
of contemporary pedagogical notions leading towards professionalization<br />
and life-long learning. To sum up, without a master’s degree in education, one cannot<br />
be employed in the primary classroom, and with such extensive education pre-service<br />
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teachers are expected to meet successfully any professional challenge that comes their<br />
way. Teaching a multigrade classroom presents one of those challenges, especially<br />
when they possess some negative preconceptions, as exhibited by the teachers participating<br />
in earlier studies.<br />
RESEARCH AIM<br />
We were interested in finding out what concerns our students, as future teachers, have<br />
regarding multigrade teaching in Croatia. More precisely, the aim was to find answers<br />
to the following research questions:<br />
— What are prospective teachers' main concerns about multigrade teaching?<br />
— What are prospective teachers least concerned about when it comes to multigrade<br />
teaching?<br />
The following research tasks stem from these questions: constructing a list of possible<br />
concerns; designing a questionnaire, conducting a survey among students, analysing<br />
the data, ranking the most frequent concerns and ranking the least frequent concerns.<br />
METHODOLOGY<br />
In order to complete those tasks a questionnaire was constructed and distributed<br />
among student population. It consisted of three parts containing a list of items describing<br />
multigrade teaching in terms of a) working conditions, b) organisation of instruction<br />
and c) effects that such teaching has on student achievement. Next to the items<br />
was a 5-point Likert-type scale so that students could estimate their level of concern (1<br />
meaning “This statement does not worry me at all” and 5 meaning “This statement worries<br />
me extremely”).<br />
The questionnaire was filled in by 158 students of the Faculty of Education (University<br />
of Osijek) who were being educated for teaching jobs in primary schools. The<br />
participants were in the 3 rd (N=71), 4 th (N=47) and 5 th year of study (N=40). The gender<br />
ratio is greatly in favour of female students (N f =142; N m =16), since they are traditionally<br />
enrolled at the Faculty in greater numbers. Younger students were not included<br />
in the study due to the fact that have not yet participated in a fieldtrip during which<br />
a rural school is visited, teaching observed and discussed with the teacher and their<br />
mentor.<br />
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION<br />
Since the aim was to discover the most frequently chosen items describing concerns<br />
about multigrade teaching, as well as the least frequently chosen ones, the items are<br />
ranked and the results are presented in the following tables.<br />
There were only nine items that a majority of students find to be the source of<br />
concern, and those are ranked in Table 1. It is evident that students’ concerns mostly<br />
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R. Varga, A. Peko, M. Sabljak: Pre-service Teachers’ Concerns about Multigrade Teaching<br />
refer to the category of classroom organisation (7 out of 9 items fall into that category).<br />
The ranking is based on the number of students choosing the highest value on the<br />
Likert scale next to each item (in this case, 4=it worries me a lot) describing the intensity<br />
of their concern. Mode value (frequency) is presented instead of the measure of<br />
average mean value, which might distort the real image of students’ priority choice.<br />
Table 1 The most frequent concerns of prospective teachers regarding multigrade teaching<br />
Intensity Rank Item Mode (f) %<br />
It worries me a lot<br />
1 It is difficult for a teacher to schedule parallel programs 59 37.3<br />
2 It is hard for a teacher to organise the switch between<br />
direct and indirect instruction. 57 36.0<br />
3 Textbooks are inadequate for MG teaching. 53 33.5<br />
4* It takes a teacher twice as long to do lesson planning. 52 32.9<br />
5 Husband/wife cannot find a job on the island,<br />
and children cannot continue their education. 51 32.3<br />
6 Teacher lacks time to do everything planned. 50 31.6<br />
7 Professional development is inaccessible for island teachers. 48 30.4<br />
8 There is not enough ready-made educational materials. 47 29.7<br />
9 Teachers are not educated enough for MG teaching. 41 25.9<br />
The greatest number of students (N=59) worry about the scheduling of parallel<br />
programs and teachers’ efforts to make multigrade timetables. Nevertheless, if the number<br />
of students who claim that they are extremely concerned (value 5 on the scale)<br />
about the fact that is takes double the amount of time to plan lessons for multigrade<br />
classes (N=51) is added to the number of students (N=52) who worry about it slightly<br />
less (value 4 on the scale), it turns out that the majority of students are concerned with<br />
the extended lesson planning.<br />
In addition to the category of classroom organisation, students also worry about<br />
the working conditions for themselves in the isolated areas such as islands (Rank 5 =<br />
lack of professional development opportunities) and living conditions for members of<br />
their families (Rank 7=long distance from the spouse’s working place or the children’s<br />
school). This category depends on infrastructural investments and developments in<br />
each community and cannot be improved by the efforts invested by teachers.<br />
If we focus on the concerns that can be aided by teachers themselves, then the<br />
ranking suggests that the majority of pre-service teachers express the greatest concern<br />
about the perceived multiplied efforts in the multigrade environment and the lack of<br />
teaching resources in terms of ready-made materials and textbooks, which again increases<br />
the teachers’ efforts. Insufficient time to plan and manage classroom activities,<br />
as well as the lack of instructional materials are also the most noted barriers to multigrade<br />
teaching in previous studies (e.g. Khazaei et. al., 2016; Cueto, 2015; Karci, 2011;<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Adepoju, 2009, Mulryan-Kyne, 2004). Such findings suggest that pre-service teachers<br />
share concerns commonly expressed by in-service teachers.<br />
Unlike teachers with greater experience in (multigrade) teaching, pre-service<br />
teachers also express fear that their initial education, even though it lasts for at least<br />
five years, is inadequate and does not equip them with the necessary competences.<br />
Mulryan-Kyne (2007) confirms students’ beliefs as she recognises that many teaching<br />
skills need to be given a specific multigrade emphasis in the context of preparation.<br />
Combined with a deeper understanding of multigrade teaching and gained experience,<br />
teachers’ attitudes towards multigrade teaching tend to take a positive turn.<br />
The absence of items describing the third category included in the questionnaire<br />
from the table shows that students do not worry a lot about those multigrade features<br />
concerning teaching efficacy translated into student achievement. On the contrary,<br />
items describing the results of the teaching process can be found on the list of the least<br />
frequent concerns.<br />
Table 2 also suggests that a majority of students express the smallest amount of<br />
concern regarding the category of teaching efficacy (5 out of 6 items), with only one<br />
item falling (final item) into the category of classroom organisation.<br />
Table 2 The least frequent student concerns about multigrade teaching<br />
Intensity Rank Item Mode (f) %<br />
It does not<br />
worry<br />
me at all<br />
It worries<br />
me a little<br />
1 Students are losing out because they must share a teacher. 60 37.9<br />
2 Students lack discipline. 52 32.9<br />
3 Students with learning difficulties are neglected. 42 26.6<br />
4 Students are not focused on theirs but parallel tasks. 51 32.3<br />
5 Younger students are a distraction to older ones. 45 28.5<br />
6 Teacher must meet the same goals as in monograde class. 37 23.4<br />
This means that, unlike the findings of the previous studies conducted with the inservice<br />
teachers, the majority of pre-service teachers who participated in this study are<br />
not convinced that multigrade teaching has a negative effect on the students' schooling<br />
experience. This is especially the case with the split teacher attention, student focus<br />
and disciplined behaviour. More precisely, they are not at all worried that pupils<br />
do not receive enough teacher's attention, as suggested by Mulryan-Kyne (2016) reporting<br />
on teachers' fear that, due to the insufficient time that a teacher has, the quality of<br />
teaching and learning can be compromised. According to the same study, 39% of teachers<br />
think that children are losing out in multigrade classes, especially the older children,<br />
since the younger ones present a major distraction for them. Such distractions between<br />
groups of different age are also something that does not worry the greatest number<br />
of pre-service teachers a lot (Rank 5). They are even less concerned that the needs<br />
of students with learning difficulties are being neglected in a multigrade classroom,<br />
even though such children demand more of the teacher's time and attention, which is<br />
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R. Varga, A. Peko, M. Sabljak: Pre-service Teachers’ Concerns about Multigrade Teaching<br />
contradictory to the most commonly reported disadvantages of multigrade teaching listed<br />
by Khazaei et al. (2016).<br />
The remaining items ranked refer to student discipline (Rank 2) and focus (Rank<br />
4). These drawbacks of multigrade teaching are described by Silveira, Enumo & Batista<br />
(2014) as common features of schooling in rural areas which increase the level of<br />
stress in teachers. Disciplinary problems are also reported by teachers in studies by<br />
Mulryan-Kyne (2004) and Khazaei et al. (2016). Contrary to that, pre-service teachers<br />
concurred with the teachers claiming that problems with discipline and focus are not<br />
integral parts of multigrade teaching and can be overcome by teacher competence.<br />
CONCLUSIONS<br />
As the number of children in primary school decreases, the number of multigrade classes<br />
increases. It is therefore important to understand the functioning of multigrade instruction<br />
and the specific role that a teacher has in it. The previous research has shown<br />
that teachers have many concerns regarding multigrade teaching and are subsequently<br />
reluctant to accept such employment. That is why this study aims to explore the concerns<br />
expressed by pre-service teachers regarding possible employment in multigrade<br />
classes.<br />
The data obtained from the 3 rd , 4 th and 5 th year students suggest that the greatest<br />
number of them is worried about how they would perform in such setting, regarding<br />
inadequate competences, insufficient time and resources to manage a class successfully.<br />
Generally speaking, they think they would have to work twice as much compared<br />
to teachers in monograde classes. They also worry that professional development for<br />
them might be inaccessible in rural or island areas, as well as job/schooling opportunities<br />
for other family members. Compared to previous findings, they share these concerns<br />
with their in-service colleagues. On the other hand, unlike some teachers, as previously<br />
reported, they do not worry that students might not receive high quality education<br />
through multigrade teaching or that they might not meet the same goals as children<br />
in monograde classes.<br />
Pre-service teachers’ concerns call for appropriate institutional answer in order to<br />
make them more open to a potential teaching experience in multigrade classes. The<br />
obtained results could be used to (re)design educational programmes (either formal or<br />
informal) that would provide greater support to young teachers who enter their profession<br />
by teaching multigrade classes. Although this paper provides an overview of<br />
student-teachers concerns regarding multigrade teaching, it represents just one step toward<br />
the improved teacher education, and thus further research on the topic is encouraged.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
References<br />
Adepoju, T. L. (2009). Planning and Policy Models for Multigrade Teaching Techniques in Nigerian<br />
Schools. JEP: eJournal of Educational Policy. Available at https://in.nau.edu/ejournal/<br />
spring-2009/ accessed on 12/9/<strong>2018</strong>.<br />
Barbetta, G. P., Sorrenti, G. & Turati, G. (<strong>2018</strong>). Multigrading and Child Achievement. Zürich:<br />
University of Zürich.<br />
Berry, C. & Little, A. W. (2006). Multigrade Teaching in London, England. In: A. W. Little (ed.)<br />
Education for All and Multigrade Teaching: Challenges and Opportunities. Dordrecht:<br />
Springer, 67-86.<br />
Croft, A. (2006). Prepared for diversity? Teacher education for lower primary classes. In: A. W. Little<br />
(ed.) Education for All and Multigrade Teaching: Challenges and Opportunities. Dordrecht:<br />
Springer, 103-126.<br />
Cueto, J. B. (2015). Implementation of Multigrade Instruction in Batangas Province (masters’ thesis).<br />
Batangas: Batangas State University.<br />
Frey, A. (2004). Die Kompetenzstruktur von Studierenden des Lehrerberufs. Eine internationale<br />
Studie. Zeitschrift für Pädagogik, 50 (6), 903-925.<br />
HrvatiÊ, N. & Pirπl, E. (2007) Kurikulum pedagoπke izobrazbe uËitelja. In: V. PreviπiÊ (ed.)<br />
Kurikulum: teorije, metodologija, sadræaj, struktura. Zagreb: Zavod za pedagogiju; ©kolska<br />
knjiga, 333-356.<br />
Karci, C. & Akar-Vural, R. (2011). Teachers’ Views With Regard to Teaching English in Multigraded<br />
Classrooms. Elementary Education Online, 10 (2), 593-607.<br />
Khazaei, L., Ahmadi, P., Momeni far, S., Rahmani, F., Bakhshi, H., Ali fat, A., Gholipour, J. &<br />
Hosseinpour, R. (2016). Challenges and Disadvantages of Multigrade Teaching: Qualitative<br />
Research. Science and Education, 12 (1), 135-141.<br />
Little, A. W. (2001). Multigrade teaching: Towards an international research and policy agenda.<br />
International Journal of Educational Development, 21 (1), 481-497.<br />
LuËiÊ, K. & MatijeviÊ, M. (2004). Nastava u kombiniranim odjelima. Zagreb: ©kolska knjiga<br />
Leuven, E. & Ronning, M. (2016). Classroom Grade Composition and Pupil Achievement. The<br />
Economic Journal, 126 (593), 1164-1192.<br />
MatiÊ Roπko, B. (2017). Education on Croatian Islands. In: K. JurËeviÊ, Lj. Kaliterna LipovËan & O.<br />
Ramljak (Eds.) Imagining the Mediterranean: Challenges and Perspectives. Zagreb: Institute of<br />
Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, VERN’ Group, 389-395.<br />
MijatoviÊ, A. (2005). Od minimalne kompetencije do profesionalne djelotvornosti uËiteljstva. In: V.<br />
RosiÊ (ed.) Stanje i perspektive obrazovanja nastavnika. Rijeka: Filozofski fakultet, 27-40.<br />
Mulryan-Kyne, C. (2007). The preparation of teachers for multigrade teaching. Teaching and<br />
Teacher Education: An International Journal of Research and Studies, 23 (4), 501-514.<br />
Mulryan-Kyne, C. (2004). Teaching and Learning in Multigrade Classrooms: What Teachers Say. The<br />
Irish Journal of Education, 35 (1), 5-19.<br />
National Curriculum Framework (2011). Zagreb: Ministry of Science, Education and Sports.<br />
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403-423.<br />
PaviËiÊ TakaË, V. & Varga, R. (2011). UËeniËko tumaËenje uspjeha i neuspjeha u nastavi engleskog<br />
jezika. Æivot i πkola, 26 (2), 39-49.<br />
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Peko, A., Varga, R., MlinareviÊ, V., Lukaπ, M. i Munjiza, E. (2014). Kulturom nastave (p)o uËeniku.<br />
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Silveira, A., Enumo, F. & Batista, P. (2014). Indicadores de estresse e estrategias de enfrentamento<br />
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dissertation). Storss: University of Connecticut.<br />
621
Dijana VUKOVI∆, Anica HUNJET, Predrag »UDINA<br />
THE ROLE OF PERCEPTION OF<br />
SUSTAINABILITY AS A COMPETITIVE<br />
DIMENSION OF A TOURIST OFFER<br />
1. INTRODUCTION<br />
Sustainable development in tourism represents a development orientation which creates<br />
a synergy between development and the social environment with the aim of producing<br />
a much larger economical effect by using natural resources more rationally and<br />
with an adequate protection of cultural and historical sights and other destination features,<br />
as well as the protection of the social environment. This concept of sustainable<br />
development in tourism was supported in 1987 through a United Nations’ resolution<br />
and was additionally established on other conferences on the same topic. The spatial<br />
unity of sustainable tourist destinations encompasses all elements of cultural-historical<br />
and natural heritage on the tourist destination area and it represents the base of immobile<br />
elements of heritage, morphology and architecture of the built environment, and<br />
rooted and protected destination resources.<br />
2. TOURISM SEEKS AUTHENTICITY<br />
Tourism is powered by interests or demand generators. Not all tourist interests have an<br />
equal potential for creating a demand. Thus it is important to know the place of every<br />
attraction in the hierarchy of consumers’ perception. Primary attractions attract tourists<br />
who want to see a specific resource and have certain knowledge beforehand. The quality<br />
of the interpretation and presentation will be different than with an attraction of a<br />
lower order. Secondary attractions will, however, lure different types of tourists, those<br />
who are looking for an easier experience which will be a welcome addition to their<br />
travel.<br />
Tourism today is based on a mosaic of sites, traditions, art forms, celebrations and<br />
experiences which portray a nation and its people, reflecting diversity and their character.<br />
Tourism includes different experiences or the contact of distinct intensity with a<br />
unique social structure, heritage and with a special character of place (Blackwell, 1997,<br />
Schweitzer, 1999). The authenticity of a tourist destination partially depends on the individual<br />
knowledge and the reference frame of an individual — the consumer in tourism.<br />
Although they are searching for authenticity, many know very little about a destination<br />
and destination values.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
3. THE BASIC SET-UPS UND SOURCES OF<br />
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES<br />
Setting up competitive advantages and maintaining them at a tourist destination level<br />
demands a systemic examination of the uniqueness of comparative advantages that secure<br />
a long-term appeal with the desired market segments. Sources of competitive advantages<br />
can be grouped into five basic groups: human potentials, natural resources,<br />
knowledge, capital and infrastructure. As we are speaking of tourism, it is necessary to<br />
point out both historical and cultural resources and expand the category of infrastructure<br />
to include the superstructure. The number, quality and expenses of the human potential<br />
are of crucial importance for setting up competitive advantages as well as being<br />
their source.<br />
A tourist destination that has preserved and high-quality natural resources is a basic<br />
source of competitive advantages and a precondition for developing tourism.<br />
Uniqueness and diversity of natural richness such as the sea, mountains, rivers, lakes<br />
and canyons, as well as the accessibility of those resources to the tourist customers,<br />
present the basic reasons for choosing tourist destinations. The climate and the position<br />
in regards to the important emissive markets and destination size also comprise<br />
the destination wealth as well as serve as a source of competitiveness.<br />
Investing is one of the preconditions for developing tourism superstructure. Capital<br />
investments depend on the willingness of investors to invest in financial resources,<br />
which is to say that they have to show confidence and belief in the profitability of their<br />
investment and the return of the invested capital. Infrastructure means secondary and<br />
additional capacities, equipment, systems and processes necessary for a destination existence.<br />
Then there is the system of health care, services and public service. State and<br />
public companies are usually responsible for the quality of infrastructure. On the other<br />
hand, superstructure represents the capacities that rely on the infrastructure and are<br />
mainly built for tourist activity. Their primary purpose is satisfying the needs and desires<br />
of the consumers in tourism (hotels, camps, restaurants, theme parks, sports terrains<br />
etc.).<br />
When it comes to the cultural-historical resources, they can appear in physical<br />
form (archaeological sites, cultural monuments, architecture, works of art, museums) as<br />
well as in the form of intangible heritage that includes: tradition, language, customs,<br />
music, way of life, community values, hospitality etc. For a tourist destination it is important<br />
to preserve the resources (both renewable and non-renewable) that the competitive<br />
position is built upon. In order to achieve that goal, strategies are employed<br />
and they are based on human resource education, protection of natural heritage, expanding<br />
knowledge and creating domestic sources of knowledge, investment and capital<br />
growth, building and maintaining infrastructure and tourism superstructure, as well<br />
as protecting historical and cultural heritage. The basic difference between a comparative<br />
and a competitive advantage of a tourist destination is that the comparative advantage<br />
refers to the available resources within a destination, while the competitive advan-<br />
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D. VukoviÊ, A. Hunjet, P. »udina: The Role of Perception of Sustainability as a Competitive...<br />
tage reflects the ability of a destination to use its resources through a longer period of<br />
time effectively. This is to say that attracting tourist consumers is a way to increase the<br />
prosperity and the overall well-being of the destination. Through the aspiration to<br />
achieve competitive advantage, a tourist destination chooses the way it will use its comparative<br />
advantages. In other words, the tourist destination chooses a way in which it<br />
will engage and use its available wealth as a source of its own competitive advantages.<br />
4. THE CHOICE OF FEATURES OF A SUSTAINABLE TOURIST<br />
DESTINATION FOR CREATING DESTINATION VALUES<br />
By observing a sustainable tourist destination from a territorial aspect, as well as from<br />
the aspect of the offer carrier, and keeping in mind that it is the consumer in tourism<br />
who makes the choice of various elements (that make the integrated tourism product),<br />
it is necessary to choose the features that are of priceless importance and that play an<br />
important role of strategic choice in creating destination values when creating an integrated<br />
tourism product. The sustainability of a tourist destination is based on incorporating<br />
available recognisable destination values in a destination offer. Identity can be<br />
defined in various ways, but all definitions are identical when it comes to identity being<br />
a feeling an individual (or a group) has about themselves and about what they represent<br />
in their environment. Differences based on identity in tourist practice represent<br />
the basis of understanding the complexities of destination values and the choice of features<br />
that will be incorporated in an integrated tourism product. The process of creating<br />
destination values and the choice of them when creating an integrated destination<br />
product is a complex and an in-depth overview of the destination with the goal of truly<br />
understanding and synergically incorporating history, culture, landscape uniqueness,<br />
the way of life and tradition. The whole strategy of choosing features of a sustainable<br />
tourist destination should be balanced with the historical and natural platform of the<br />
destination, because otherwise sustainability becomes questionable.<br />
Starting from the assumptions above, an integrated tourism product is not an appropriate<br />
way to create the destination values that are not credible or those that are not<br />
systematically managed. The order of importance of the individual features of uniqueness<br />
of a sustainable tourist destination with the aim of creating destination values depends<br />
on the comparative advantages of the tourist destination, but might be the following:<br />
— Destination attractiveness — landscape, climate, hydrography, flora, fauna, cultural-historical<br />
heritage, events, customs etc.<br />
— Destination availability — proximity to emotive tourism markets, price levels<br />
and acceptable travel expenses;<br />
— Tourist destination conditions of staying — the availability of staying capacity;<br />
sport, recreational , fun and other content;<br />
— Cultural and social uniqueness;<br />
— Attitude of the local population;<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
— Infrastructure;<br />
— Shopping.<br />
However, sustainable tourist destinations aim for a different identity that consumers<br />
in tourism perceive when choosing. From the perspective of sustainability the following<br />
features are important:<br />
— The potential of traditional culinary offer based on eco-products;<br />
— Autochthonous local customs:<br />
— Destination potential for developing selected forms of tourism, for instance,<br />
health tourism, rural tourism, sport tourism etc.;<br />
— Specific traditional activities and lifestyle, for instance, the fishing tradition of a<br />
destination, the farming tradition of a destination etc.<br />
Sustainable tourist development of a destination means proportional involvement<br />
of tourist resources in the tourist offer. For this reason, the creation of an integrated<br />
tourism product means good cooperation and coordination of all interested parties,<br />
which should not only be interested in their partial product geared towards the tourism<br />
market.<br />
5. COMPETITIVENESS OF TOURIST DESTINATIONS<br />
The term competitiveness on the country level was first introduced by Porter (1990).<br />
His model of competitiveness is based on diamond competitiveness on the national<br />
economy level and it serves as a the basis for most destination competitiveness models.<br />
It is possible to connect destination competitiveness with its ability to deliver a tourism<br />
experience that provides greater satisfaction to tourism consumers than what other<br />
destinations offer (Vengesayi, 2003:637) and in those aspects that are of importance<br />
to tourism consumers (Dwyer and Kim, 2003:369). That is why there are two different<br />
perspectives (Buhalis, according to Vengesayi, 2003:641) — the perspective of consumers<br />
in tourism, that have destination appeal and the perspective of destinations themselves<br />
as the focus of their decisions, and they seek to ensure the conditions for achieving<br />
good results by boosting competitiveness.<br />
The key dimensions in destination competitiveness are defined by a large number<br />
of authors (Lee and King, 2009:243-257). Tourist destination competitiveness is determined<br />
by factors specific to tourism and by a broader spectrum of factors affecting tourist<br />
service providers (Enright and Newton, 2005:339-350). One of the more important<br />
components of sustainable competitiveness is the protection of the surroundings and<br />
destination values. Hassan (2000) considers that the lack of commitment to the preservation<br />
of the environment can seriously endanger the survival of the destination on the<br />
tourist market and that this commitment is one of the key determinants of competitiveness.<br />
Sustainable competitiveness requires a balance between tourism development<br />
and destination protection (nature, cultural-historical values, traditional cultural values,<br />
biological diversity). Even though the question of environmental protection is signifi-<br />
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D. VukoviÊ, A. Hunjet, P. »udina: The Role of Perception of Sustainability as a Competitive...<br />
cant for the overall competitiveness of individual states in a way that it can lead to the<br />
introduction of innovations, which can further boost competitiveness (Porter and van<br />
der Linde, 1995a:122, 1995b:174), it has a special meaning in tourism because of the<br />
quality of natural and cultural surroundings, which are one of the key elements in the<br />
tourist experience. That is why this kind of a tourism product and its mode of consumption<br />
require that the competitiveness of tourist destinations, along with elements<br />
of competitive advantage, also take into account the fundamental elements of comparative<br />
advantage (Crouch and Ritchie, 1999:138). Crouch and Ritchie (1999:137-157) deal<br />
with nature and structure of competitiveness in tourist destinations. Given that they try<br />
to cover all relevant factors of competitiveness their conceptual model carries the name<br />
“integral model of destination competitiveness”. In literature, destination competitiveness<br />
is viewed from other, different or narrower, aspects, for example from the aspect<br />
of price competitiveness (Dwyer, Forsyth and Rao, 2000:9-22; Dwyer, Mistilis, Forsyth<br />
and Rao 2001:123; Dwyer, Forsyth and Rao, 2002:328) or from the aspect of demand<br />
(Kozak and Rimmington, 1999:273-283; Faulkner, Oppermann and Fredline, 1999:126).<br />
The model of competitive advantages implemented in a sustainable tourist destination<br />
is the increase of tourist consumption and financial results at the level of a sustainable<br />
tourist destination. It does not necessarily mean an increase in the number of<br />
arrivals and overnight stays, but an increase of the quality of a tourist offer for an acceptable<br />
number of consumers in tourism on the tourist destination level, with the insurance<br />
of ecological, socio-cultural and economic sustainability.<br />
The model of competitive advantage of sustainable tourist destinations explicitly<br />
points to the level of socio-economic development with special attention to the quality<br />
of life of the local population. The competitive advantage of sustainable tourist destinations<br />
lies in the fact that experience, that is, the experience of consumers in tourism<br />
is the fundamental product. The goal of consumer travel in tourism for each individual<br />
is the realization of the desired or expected experience. Experience in tourism<br />
is a key product and it is the reason that competitiveness in tourism is based on the<br />
level of tourist destinations. Of course, competition exists between partial tourism products,<br />
but this type of competition arises and is dependent on the choice of consumers<br />
in tourism in relation to alternative tourist destinations when choosing the destination.<br />
Achieving competitive advantages and maintaining it on the tourist destination<br />
levels requires a systematic examination of the uniqueness of comparative advantages<br />
that ensure a long-term attractiveness to selected market segments. The sources of competitive<br />
advantages can be grouped into five core groups: human resources, natural resources,<br />
knowledge, capital and infrastructure. The development of tourism in a destination<br />
depends on the available tourist resources to a great extent. Human resources<br />
need to be added to the knowledge resource without which the management of tourism<br />
resources is not possible today. A tourist destination that possesses high-quality and<br />
preserved natural resources possesses a fundamental source of competitive advantages<br />
and a prerequisite for the development of tourism.<br />
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628<br />
6. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ON THE LEVEL OF<br />
TOURIST DESTINATIONS<br />
When it comes to long-term planning of the preservation and protection of destination<br />
values, it is primarily important to identify and estimate the destination values ??and<br />
ways of their use. Each tourist destination has its own meaning and importance in the<br />
consciousness of consumers in tourism and as such is placed into different social and<br />
cultural contexts.<br />
Considerations about sustainability also include questions about the allowed measure<br />
and type of use, without endangering the intrinsic values that are being protected<br />
(Marquis-Kyle and Walker 1992, Pearson ND Sullivan 1995, ICOMOS 1994, Silva 1994,<br />
Cantacuzine 1995). Such deliberations apply to the material and nonmaterial values of<br />
tourist destinations. Sensitive localities demand careful management regardless of their<br />
tourist potential. In some cases, an essential managing task will be a visit ban or a strict<br />
limit on the number of visitors in order to preserve and protect the value.<br />
7. RESEARCH AND RESEARCH FINDINGS<br />
The methodology that is used for conceptualising a sustainable tourist destination as<br />
well as competiveness, as basic components of development and sustaining and that a<br />
customer in tourism perceives in the sense of its recognisable values and effect analysis<br />
in the sense of the satisfaction of the customer in tourism and creating a basis for<br />
making a decision about allocating and reallocating in the domain of a policy of an integrated<br />
tourist product. Based on the results of a qualitative research, a preliminary<br />
questionnaire was made and it contained questions about the performance of the six<br />
main components through which the integrated tourist product differ, that is to say,<br />
how the tourist destinations differ (i. tourist content offer, ii. the process of selection<br />
and reservation, iii. stay in an airport, sea port, at the travel organiser, iv. Stay and experience<br />
at a sustainable tourist destination, v. the quality of relationship between the<br />
tourists and tourist workers, and vi. the prices of partial tourist products), all in all, with<br />
72 formed indicators of the components of expected and experienced destination value,<br />
or 144 units. An empirical research was conducted on a pattern of 1000 respondents,<br />
tourists. The applied pattern has the features of an appropriate and homogenous<br />
pattern, as it was made of tourists in respect to their choices of tourist destinations. After<br />
processing, the results of the survey have clearly shown which hypotheses can be<br />
made. The hypotheses of this paper are as follows:<br />
H1: The perception of sustainability is an important factor when choosing a<br />
tourist offer.<br />
With the aim of reviewing the hypothesis the following research units were chosen:<br />
— Richness, beauty and diversity of the tourist destination landscape;<br />
— The wealth of material and non-material heritage;
D. VukoviÊ, A. Hunjet, P. »udina: The Role of Perception of Sustainability as a Competitive...<br />
— Overall, the environmental balance is positive<br />
— Overall, I got the impression that the visited tourist destination takes care of its<br />
heritage and the environmental standards<br />
For the first two research units there is an almost absolute concurrence in the positive<br />
acceptance of these units. The third unit was accepted positively by 95.2% of the<br />
respondents. The fourth one was positively accepted by 97.2% of the respondents.<br />
Thus the hypothesis H1 is accepted.<br />
H2: The importance of the cultural offer and natural resources is indivisible<br />
and equal.<br />
With the aim of reviewing this hypothesis the following research units were chosen:<br />
— I have got the impression that in the chosen tourist destination cultural material<br />
and nonmaterial heritage is being taken care of;<br />
— I have got the impression that in the chosen tourist destination ecological standards<br />
are respected;<br />
— The cultural historical heritage is important for me in order to evaluate the quality<br />
of the tourist destination;<br />
— Ecologically clean and tidy destination leaves me with an impression of reliability<br />
and professionalism which influences my trust and positive perception of<br />
the destination;<br />
— An ecologically clean, fun tourist destination filled with different contents affects<br />
my perception about its quality<br />
The first above listed unit was accepted with a positive concurrence of 94.8%; the<br />
second unit was accepted with 97.2%. The units that connect cultural, ecological and<br />
other contents were accepted as follows: the unit regarding the cultural heritage with<br />
91.7%, the unit regarding the ecological cleanliness and tidiness as well as the impression<br />
of reliability and professionalism with 92.6%, the unit regarding the other content<br />
with 98.4%. Thus the hypothesis H2 is accepted.<br />
H3: A quality perception is impossible without insuring a quality experience<br />
for the integrated tourist product user.<br />
With the aim of reviewing this hypothesis the following research units were chosen:<br />
— A low quality and ecologically unbalanced destination decreases the destination’s<br />
reputation and my trust;<br />
— Overall, the image of the tourist destination can be described as very positive;<br />
— Overall, the country where the tourist destination is located has been described<br />
as very positive;<br />
— All in all, I have got the impression that the visited tourist destination takes care<br />
of its heritage and respects the ecological standards;<br />
The unit reviewing the lack of quality and ecological balance shows us, with a<br />
score of 100%, that the stated lack diminishes the reputation of the destination. The<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
overall image definitively needs further research as 10% of the respondents didn’t mark<br />
it as very positive, but 90% of the respondents consider it very positive, which might<br />
mean a positive view on this unit. The unit that reviews the relationship of the country<br />
and the tourist destination is highly interesting. In our case (Croatia) 89.8% of the<br />
respondents (i.e., nearly 90%) consider this relationship positive. The impression about<br />
whether the tourist destination takes care of its heritage and the ecological standards<br />
was marked as positive by 94.6% of the respondents before visiting the destination, and<br />
after the visit it was marked positive by 89.7% of the respondents. The 4.9% fall in the<br />
positive mark after the visit points to a need for further research in order to discover<br />
the reasons of this dissatisfaction. However, the overall high score allows us to accept<br />
this unit as positive in regards to the set hypothesis. Thus the H3 hypothesis is accepted.<br />
H4: Knowledge is crucial when ensuring a quality experience.<br />
With the aim of reviewing the above mentioned hypothesis the following research units<br />
were chosen:<br />
— Local population has a high education level and is extremely hospitable;<br />
— I have got the impression that in the chosen tourist destination the cultural material<br />
and non-material heritage is being taken care of<br />
— I have got the impression that in the chosen tourist destination the ecological<br />
standards are respected<br />
— An ecologically clean and tidy destination leaves an image of dependability and<br />
professionalism that effects my trust and positive perception of the destination<br />
Three out of four listed units were also used in H2 because they contain a phenomenon<br />
of knowledge. They require continuous evaluation alongside the unit regarding<br />
the relationship of the local population and the level of education. A positive attitude<br />
about the level of education of the local population is expressed by as much as<br />
89.8% of the respondents, which points to this being the cause of the high percentage<br />
of the other units. Thus the hypothesis H4 is accepted.<br />
H5: Knowledge must be recognised in the approach, behaviour and relation<br />
of the local population towards the user of the integrated tourist product.<br />
With the aim of reviewing the hypothesis the following research units were chosen:<br />
— A friendly local population lives in the tourist destination;<br />
— Everybody (businesses and the local population) acts ethically;<br />
— The local population had an open, positive and friendly attitude accompanied<br />
by a smile towards me<br />
— The local population were always willing to offer information and help in resolving<br />
any problem<br />
This hypothesis can be seen as a sort of research provocation, if the segment of<br />
knowledge and enlightenment had a positive reflection on the segment of local popu-<br />
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lation that would be obvious in the results of the above mentioned units. Unfortunately,<br />
here we can notice serious declines between the expectation and experience, as follows:<br />
— With the first unit the decline is from 91.9% before visiting the destination to<br />
57% after visiting the destination<br />
— With the second unit the decline is from the absolute 100% to 83.8%<br />
The last two units should continue the trend, but the trend changes. It is without<br />
a doubt that the reasons must be explored:<br />
— With the third unit we have a positive move from 87.3% to 97.6%<br />
— With the last unit a small positive movement from 76.5 to 79% is noticeable.<br />
This dichotomy of results is illogical at first glance, but it is precisely the results<br />
that show in the sense of negative proof that the lack of necessary modes of<br />
behaviour by the local population points to a need to work on their education<br />
and enlightenment. Through the method of negative proof the hypothesis H5<br />
is accepted considering that through it one has proven the relation of knowledge<br />
and behaviour of the local population when delivering the integrated<br />
tourist product.<br />
8. CONCLUSION<br />
By observing a sustainable tourist destination from the territorial aspect as well as from<br />
the aspect of an offer carrier, whilst keeping in mind that it is the consumer in tourism<br />
that makes the choice of different elements (which together make the integrated tourist<br />
product), it is necessary to choose the features that are of priceless importance and<br />
that play an important role in the strategic choice when creating destination values and<br />
an integrated tourist product. The sustainability of a tourist destination is based on incorporating<br />
recognisable and available destination values into a destination offer.<br />
Those resources are an exact identity. Management and tourist valorisation are the basis<br />
of creating destination values, but they are also the basis of creating a tourist destination<br />
identity on the global tourism market. Identity can be defined in different ways,<br />
but all definitions are unanimous in the identity being a feeling a consumer (or a<br />
group) has about themselves and about what they represent in the environment.<br />
Identity can also be interpreted as a product of self-awareness about the fact that<br />
all entities have certain characteristics by which they differentiate one from another. In<br />
tourism, differences based on identity represent the basis of understanding the complexities<br />
of destination values and the choice of the features that will be incorporated<br />
in the integrated tourism product. The process of creating destination values and the<br />
choice when creating the integrated tourist product is a complex and in-depth overview<br />
of the destination with the aim of truly understanding and synergically incorporating<br />
history, culture, landscape uniqueness, ways of life and tradition. The totality of<br />
strategy of choosing features of a sustainable tourist destination must be appropriately<br />
balanced with the natural and historical platform of the destination, otherwise the sus-<br />
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tainability becomes questionable. Starting with the aforementioned assumptions, it is<br />
not appropriate to develop an integrated tourist product on destination values that are<br />
not credible or that were not systematically managed. Therefore, it can be concluded<br />
that a creative and competitive tourist destination is created as a reflection of its values.<br />
This research undoubtedly points to the fact that sustainability as a competitive dimension<br />
is not possible without affirmation, realisation and the practical activity of the<br />
human dimension.<br />
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Zuzanna WOJCIECHOWSKA<br />
FUNCTIONS OF EDUCATION IN THE<br />
PERSPECTIVE OF EXPERIENCING<br />
CHANGES IN THE PROFESSIONAL LIFE<br />
BY GENERATIONS OF 30+ AND 60+<br />
The term change currently plays a special role, due to the prevalence of this phenomenon.<br />
The contemporary world is full of tensions, and its characteristic features are variability,<br />
uncertainty, fragmentation and mosaic structure. Everyday lives of common<br />
members of western societies are now characterized by rapid changes in all areas.<br />
Those changes relate to the institutional dimensions of functioning of individuals in<br />
communities as well as scientific knowledge — which has never been seen so critically<br />
and with such a lack of trust as at present — intimacy, personal relationships, everyday<br />
life, work and education.<br />
The postmodern times are called liquid (Bauman 2007), uncertain (Beck 2002),<br />
unpredictable (Giddens 2002), and are sometimes named the culture of rush (Bauman<br />
2007, Kargul 2013). The basic feature of the present times is the acceptance of diversity<br />
and intensive changes, as well as the characteristic way of thinking, which can be<br />
described as partial and hypothetical. Intensive changes are also very characteristic for<br />
the professional field. Contemporary people experience many changes in their professional<br />
lives because human work changes intensively due to technological development<br />
and social transitions. According to all of this, issues connected to lifelong learning<br />
from the perspective of experiencing changes in professional life appeared among<br />
my interests. I was also interested in the difference between two generations — young<br />
adults (30+), who have been on the labor market relatively shortly and generation of<br />
60+ — people who have already experienced many years of work and are preparing<br />
for retirement. Especially interesting for me was also the subject of functions which education<br />
can fulfill in the situation of experiencing changes in professional life and the<br />
process of transformative learning caused by the change.<br />
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY<br />
The research material was collected between December 2015 and October 2016. The<br />
research was carried out using methods characteristic for qualitative research and had<br />
the character of biographical research. During the analysis and interpretation of the research<br />
results, I used the theoretical framework determined by the interpretive paradigm<br />
(Malewski 2001). The use of a qualitative research strategy enabled me to reach<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
the perspective of individual interpretations of the narrators. The subject of my research<br />
was a change in professional life seen from a biographical perspective. The impact of<br />
professional change on individual (re)constructions of their biography has been considered<br />
by taking into account a broader context — both individual — related to the<br />
biography of narrators, as well as subjective and socio-cultural.<br />
Among my interests were also the differences (or lack of them) between the representatives<br />
of two generations in selected ways of (re)constructing their own biography<br />
in the situation of professional change. The first group were young adults (30+),<br />
who relatively the labor market recently entered and have been active in the field of<br />
professional life for only a few years.The second group were people in late adulthood<br />
(60+) who have most of their working life behind them already and look at it from the<br />
perspective of people who are leaving the labor market soon. The age criterion was<br />
used to follow the transformations which happened in the approach to professional<br />
change over the last 30 years, related to the change of the political system in Poland,<br />
its economy, functioning of the labor market and education, as well as a different perspective<br />
on learning of adults.<br />
26 narrators took part in the research project (13 young adults and 13 people in<br />
late adulthood). The sampling procedure was purposive sampling — this type of selection<br />
of respondents ensured diversity within a group of people who were homogenous<br />
in terms of the level of education and place of residence (Warsaw), thanks to<br />
which it was possible to grasp the variability and diversity of the phenomenon during<br />
study. The research was conducted using the narrative interview method. The respondents<br />
were asked to tell about the process of their professional and educational life,<br />
with particular emphasis on changes occurring in the professional area. In order to understand<br />
changes in work life and their impact on individual biographical (re)constructions,<br />
there was need to recognize a broader context. For that reason I needed to gain<br />
detailed knowledge about many different areas of individual biographies, so during the<br />
study I divided the stories about narrators’ lives into the following categories: career<br />
planning, the course of professional life, the consequences of changes in professional<br />
life, coping with change, self-esteem of narrator.<br />
During the analysis, I used the bricolage technique. Assumptions characteristic for<br />
bricolage technique refers to mixed technical discourses when the researcher freely<br />
moves between different analytical techniques (Kvale 2012). Thanks to this eclectic<br />
form of data analyzing, I was able to combine together various techniques. Analytical<br />
techniques I used were:<br />
— Dividing narrations into homogeneous and consistent segments (narrative passages),<br />
— Analysis of each segment (narrative passage) and attributing codes to fragments<br />
of narration (coding procedure allowed me to categorize data segments by using<br />
short titles),<br />
— Creating professional changes typology based on repeated codes,<br />
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Z. Wojciechowska: Functions of Education in the Perspective of Experiencing Changes...<br />
— Recording patterns and schemes for coping with change,<br />
— Grouping (which is the analytical basis for selecting functions of education in<br />
life of generation of 30+ and 60+)<br />
— Making contrasts / comparisons<br />
— Building metaphors (metaphor means understanding one thing with the help<br />
of another, which makes it possible to highlight new aspects of the phenomenon<br />
being studied).<br />
As a result of the analysis, I created the reconstruction of narrators’ reality, although<br />
it should be remembered that the collected stories do not reproduce the previous<br />
reality, but explain it from specific points of view (Silverman 2016). Because of that<br />
they seem to be the most valuable and full of meanings. The narrators decided how<br />
detailed their narration was, what kind of descriptions they add to their story, which<br />
argumentation they include, and how intimate they want their narration to be.<br />
The research results show mainly the issues essential for Warsaw population (for<br />
instance the political and economic transformation in 1989 in Poland has had a significant<br />
influence on some differences between the two age groups — 30+ and 60+), but<br />
the subject can be seen in a much wider perspective, as nowadays we all experience<br />
very intensive changes in our professional lives.<br />
TYPES OF CHANGES IN THE PROFESSIONAL LIFE OF NARRATORS<br />
The first category differentiating the changes appearing in the narratives of the respondents<br />
was its source. The analysis of the collected research material allowed me to<br />
identify three main reasons for the occurrence of changes in professional life of the narrators.<br />
I pointed out:<br />
— changes caused by personal decision of the respondents,<br />
— changes caused by external events in the narrator's life (influence of significant<br />
others, transformations in family life, illness, fortuitous events),<br />
— changes caused by external historical and social events (large scale of events,<br />
changes affecting the whole society or large social groups), having a direct impact<br />
on individual life.<br />
Narrator’s own decision was a frequent source of professional changes experienced<br />
by members of the 30+ age group. The assumption on realizing person’s own<br />
needs at work, as well as concentrating on the job that is consistent with the interests<br />
of the narrator is a characteristic for the representatives of the generation of 30+ in Warsaw.<br />
In the narratives of young adults, professional work was not treated pragmatically<br />
and utilitarian as a source of income. According to the respondents, work should be<br />
a type of activity, and the office (or other place of doing work) a place where they<br />
could fulfill their dreams and develop. Professionally active young adults confirmed the<br />
huge importance of work, which they felt was the most important area of their lives.<br />
The decision to change a profession or a place of work was something treated by the<br />
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representatives of this age group as natural — if the work did not contribute to their<br />
development, self-fulfillment, or did not suit their passions — it was not a type of activity<br />
to which they wanted to devote their time and commitment. The interviewees emphasized<br />
that working for a long period of time in one place is a waste of time for<br />
them, “standing in one place” or even recession. Narrators belonging to the generation<br />
of 30+ treated their self-fulfillment as their most important life obligation.<br />
People from the generation of 60+ perceived this issue differently, especially<br />
women. Among the men from this group,statements appeared related to the need of<br />
self-realization, while women who I talked to, firstly emphasized the issues of household<br />
duties, especially taking care of children, as their domain. Speaking about work,<br />
they noticed that they could have achieved more, but often they did not think it was<br />
necessary or even appropriate.<br />
The causes of differences between these two age groups can probably be found<br />
in the changing patterns of contemporary biographies. The pattern of professional biography<br />
defined by three phases — the phase of preparation for professional life, the<br />
phase of professional activity and the resting phase (and therefore the school-work-retirement<br />
formula), currently does not exist (Hurrelmann 1994, Hajduk 2001, Malewski<br />
2001). Young adults, who are forced by the conditions of contemporary society to look<br />
for new patterns to design their own professional biographies, do not have such a high<br />
level of trust towards social institutions, workplaces or the version of life proposed by<br />
the society. Narrators belonging to the generation of 60+ saw their professional life in<br />
a linear way — from the beginning of the first job until the moment of retirement, with<br />
possible interruptions for raising children (in the cases of women). Having once chosen<br />
a specific career path, they agreed with its inevitability, predictability and were not<br />
surprised by its course. Frequent changes of work, not only as a place of employment,<br />
but even changes in the professional branch, transformations related to work, its character,<br />
scopes, and even complete changes of the profession for them are an obvious<br />
necessity that is a result of the duty of self-fulfillment. The most important thing is fulfilling<br />
one's own needs and realizing individual plans in terms of duty and even compulsion.<br />
The second reason for changes in the professional life of the respondents were<br />
random events not always dependent on the will of the narrators and often external to<br />
them. The most frequent events were transformations in family life. Marriage, and in<br />
particular having children, were events that strongly affected the area of professional<br />
life of the respondents. These transformations, however, had a different character in<br />
case of women and men, because among women they were associated with the reduction<br />
of time devoted to professional work, while among men, with its intensification<br />
(especially in generation of 60+; in younger group of respondents, this effect was not<br />
so clear).<br />
Except becoming a parent, the external changes in narrators’ professional lives<br />
were caused by other people in the workplace and outside, as well as decisions made<br />
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by them. Narrators regardless of gender pointed the situations that resulted in a change<br />
in their professional life, and which were the result of decisions and actions of other<br />
people, mostly superiors or family members. While the effect of changes initiated by<br />
the respondents was often assessed positively, in the case of external changes which<br />
were caused by the actions of other people or events, narrators assessed the changes<br />
most often negatively. Another source of change in professional lives of respondents,<br />
which was not the result of their individual decisions, was illness. The experience of<br />
disease was associated with the necessity to stop working for some time. The respondents<br />
who had survived a serious illness talked about it as “stopping” their working life<br />
for a moment. They called this period in their professional biography “living in the<br />
waiting room”.<br />
The third source of changes in narrators’ biographies were historical and social<br />
transformations that had an impact on their individual lives. In case of group 60+ one<br />
of the most crucial events was the political transformation in 1989, which people from<br />
the generation of 60+ experienced during their professional life. Many of my interlocutors<br />
pointed to the events of the year 1989 as a breakthrough that opened new options<br />
in their work, made them able to take advantage of the opportunities offered by<br />
the free market, where every business project or idea was something new. Many companies<br />
that emerged or began to develop in the transformation period in Poland have<br />
achieved success because there was a surplus of demand over supply, and many services<br />
appeared in Poland as completely new. Most of the narrators from the age group<br />
of 60+ indicated a change in the political and economic system as a source of changes<br />
in their own professional life.<br />
Among the changes that the age group of 30+ experienced together with their entire<br />
generation or with the whole society, young adults pointed to some technological<br />
changes, but not directly in the context of facilitations related to the use of new technologies,<br />
but rather their impact on interpersonal relationships and the content of everyday<br />
life. The historical experience in their opinion, common for the entire generation,<br />
was the creation of social media, including Facebook. Contemporary thirty-yearolds<br />
admit that social networks have influenced their communication, way of building<br />
relationships and spending free time, as well as doing work.<br />
Three sources of professional changes that are characterized above paint a picture<br />
of genesis diversity of transformations in professional life. Considering the category of<br />
intensity of changes in professional life, I have found its two types (on the basis of the<br />
analysis of the research material):<br />
— An abrupt (sudden) change — caused by an unexpected turn in the biography<br />
of an individual, the emergence of new opportunities or the disappearance of<br />
opportunities that were available earlier;<br />
— Slow change — long-lasting, processual.<br />
Slow change creates an opportunity for preparation, reflection, planning or adaptation<br />
process. Sudden changes did not create such an opportunity. Abrupt changes<br />
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were often significant turning points in the professional biography of the respondents.<br />
Most of my interlocutors perceived sudden changes as better than slow ones, because<br />
they brought an exciting “freshness” and intense experiences to the professional area<br />
of life. The characteristic feature of slow changes is their long duration. The process of<br />
transformation from the initial state to the final stage takes a lot of time in the subjective<br />
perspective of life of an individual person. Slow change can be seen rather as a<br />
process than a single event.<br />
Another category, enabling a more detailed characterization of the change phenomenon,<br />
is its duration. Based on the types of changes, appearing in the narratives of<br />
the respondents, I distinguished:<br />
— Periodic change — lasting only for a specified period, after which all elements<br />
of the biographical structure were returning to the previous state;<br />
— Constant change — for which the effects of transformations are permanent and<br />
the professional situation of the specific person does not return to its previous<br />
state;<br />
— A recurrent (boomerang) change — the essence of which is a certain repetition<br />
in the biography of a particular person. Its characteristic feature is the occurrence<br />
of repeating biographical sequences in professional life, connected with<br />
repeatedly doing the same kinds of actions in new situations, bringing a similar<br />
effect each time.<br />
The periodic change is related to the disruption of current biographical structure<br />
of the professional area and its end is precisely determined in time. The reason for this<br />
change are events related to, for example, a break or an interruption in the work and<br />
are perceived by people as temporary, transient. An example of a periodic change is a<br />
departure from a place of residence and a temporary change in work connected with<br />
it.<br />
In contrast to periodic changes, permanent changes are associated with permanent<br />
transformation of one state into another, with no possibility or prospect of returning to<br />
the previous state. There are more permanent changes than periodic ones in biographical<br />
constructions. Professional life has a processual character, so most of the stages of<br />
this process do not repeat after completion. A feature characteristic for the permanent<br />
change is that person who experiences such transformation needs to adapt to new conditions.<br />
The third kind of change in professional life, related to its duration, is a boomerang<br />
(recurrent) change. Its essence is the repeatability in the biographical structure of<br />
a particular person. A man experiencing a boomerang change has a tendency to repeat<br />
a certain behavioral pattern that brings a similar effect each time. The change is recurrent<br />
in the biography of such person as a boomerang, which once rejected, returns to<br />
the starting point, to the person who threw it out. The main reason for a boomerang<br />
change is using an inefficient adaptive strategy by the person.<br />
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Another category that I took into account when characterizing the phenomenon<br />
of change was its scope. I found:<br />
— Total change — a complete change in the professional branch, scope and subject<br />
of the activity;<br />
— Partial change — transformations occurring within one enterprise, changes in<br />
its structure and structure of positions;<br />
— Micro-change — changing the scope and type of activities within one workplace<br />
and one position.<br />
A total change is a change of the largest scope, because it involves a transformation<br />
of all elements of the professional biography. In cases of such transformation, a<br />
person changes completely their professional branch, starts working in a new, unknown<br />
field, makes a complete change to another position.<br />
A partial change, in contrast to a total change, concerns only selected elements of<br />
professional life, a specific area. Such change may involve transformations taking place<br />
in an enterprise or institution. Partial change is a kind of change which people can<br />
adapt to more easily. Because not all elements of working life change at the same time,<br />
person has the opportunity to focus on those aspects that actually become different.<br />
Considering the scope of professional changes, I noticed a third kind of transformation<br />
— a micro-change. This is a variation of a partial change, but its characteristic<br />
feature is a small range of impact. A micro-change refers to the transformation of the<br />
scope or type of activity within one workplace and one post. It may be related to changes<br />
in interpersonal relations in the workplace which affect its quality and character.<br />
Micro-change is therefore a change that occurs in the dimension of a single human biography.<br />
In conclusion, the phenomenon of change in professional life has been characterized<br />
above by its potential sources and by the categories of intensity, time and scope.<br />
A better understanding and knowledge about the types of changes experienced by<br />
people in the professional life can be an inspiration for adult theoreticians and practitioners<br />
to undertake further research into this phenomenon, as well as to design activities<br />
related to ways of coping with change.<br />
FUNCTIONS OF EDUCATION IN THE SITUATION OF<br />
EXPERIENCING CHANGES IN PROFESSIONAL LIFE<br />
BY GENERATIONS 30+ AND 60+<br />
Taking into account the analysis of research material, I specified six functions (stratification,<br />
adaptation, insurance, creating one's own image, entertainment and therapeutic<br />
function), which education appeared to fulfill in lives of narrators belonging to the<br />
age group of 30+ and five functions (stratification, insurance, adaptation, therapeutic<br />
function and social activation) that occurred in lives of respondents in late adulthood<br />
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Diagram 1 Functions of education in the situation of experiencing changes in professional life<br />
Diagram 2 Functions of education in the situation of experiencing changes in professional life<br />
that appeared additionally in narratives of age group 30+<br />
Diagram 3 Functions of education in the situation of experiencing changes in professional life<br />
that appeared additionally in narratives of age group 60+<br />
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Z. Wojciechowska: Functions of Education in the Perspective of Experiencing Changes...<br />
after experiencing changes in their professional life. All of these functions are characterized<br />
in two diagrams above.<br />
The difference in the approach to educational activities undertaken in the situation<br />
of change between the generation of 30+ and 60+ is visible. People belonging to<br />
the group of young adults treat taking up educational activities as their duty, necessity<br />
and an integral element of professional life as well as life in general. The idea of lifelong<br />
learning does not seem to be unknown to this age group, but rather strongly internalized,<br />
probably during the socialization process. In the case of people from the<br />
age group of 60+, education undertaken in the situation of change is not perceived as<br />
an obvious action. Educational activities probably seem more characteristic for different<br />
a stage of life and in some way inappropriate or not very useful for people in late<br />
adulthood to people from this age group. This is most likely associated with dynamically<br />
changing patterns of life — people from generation of 60+ participated in the<br />
process of socialization when the pattern of a linear biography, divided into three main<br />
stages (school-work-retirement) was still a widely available and well known model.<br />
People belonging to the generation of 30+ grew up in the years of intense social and<br />
technological changes in Poland that were related to the change of available patterns<br />
of life and the evanescence of linear biographies. Therefore, it can be assumed that educational<br />
activities are not treated by the age group of 30+ as an adequate activity only<br />
for people of adolescent age, but rather as necessity for every member of the contemporary,<br />
dynamically developing and extremely variable society.<br />
TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF<br />
EXPERIENCING CHANGES IN PROFESSIONAL LIFE<br />
The assumptions, beliefs and fears that a person has gained during their life can affect<br />
the unreflective reproduction of acquired and internalized patterns of behavior. Change<br />
(for instance in professional life) allows to break this internalized pattern and (re)construct<br />
a biography in a reflective way. It also allows to look critically at current activities<br />
and views and to reject the dysfunctional frame of reference 1 . The essence of Jack<br />
Mezirow’s theory is a specific way of learning by adults which results in change in<br />
one’s vision of the world and opinion about themself. By analyzing the collected narratives,<br />
I noticed that professional change can be a factor leading to such transformation<br />
and breaking down the established patterns of behavior. It can allow person to<br />
free themself from the previously internalized structures of functioning and make them<br />
1 One of the most important concepts in the J. Mezirow’s theory is the frame of reference, which<br />
means a culturally established scheme, which person uses to evaluate events, actions and other<br />
people’s behavior occurring in his life. The frame of reference is therefore a kind of cognitive,<br />
emotional and motivational filter through which individual interprets the world around<br />
(Mezirow 2009).<br />
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look for more adequate, consistent, fit to reality, but also harmonized with their feelings,<br />
needs and values ways of acting.<br />
Transformative learning leads to the transformation from a non-reflexive or dysfunctional<br />
frame of reference into a new, functional and supportive one, so as a result<br />
a person can find a better way to understand the world around them and their own<br />
needs, as well as perceive their potential. This is possible by experiencing new things<br />
(which obviously happens when someone experiences changes in their life), because<br />
each experience has a meaning to a person, and if they cannot understand new experiences<br />
by referring them to already established frame of reference, they can ignore<br />
them or transform his frame of reference into a new/transformed frame (by changing<br />
mental habits or points of view).<br />
To notice the influence of change on the individual's learning, we should follow<br />
the learning process according to the scheme proposed by J. Mezirow. The first stage<br />
of transformative learning — which essence is changing the previous, inadequate for<br />
some reasons frame of reference (known as reframing) — is a critical reflection about<br />
internalized assumptions. Such reflection is connected with analysis, concerning views<br />
possessed by the subject, ways of acting and acquired attitudes. A person, who realizes<br />
that his beliefs are inadequate to the surrounding reality, begins to think about the<br />
accuracy (truthfulness) of acquired knowledge. By comparing possessed beliefs to the<br />
experienced situations, a person begins to notice inconsistencies in previously accepted<br />
ways of thinking and interpreting reality. What turned out, after analyzing collected<br />
research material, was that critical reflection about one's way of looking at the world<br />
may become the cause of subsequent changes in the way the subject thinks and acts.<br />
Narrators admitted, that changes in their professional life were causing reflection and<br />
consideration of their ways of thinking and internalized assumptions. Reflection about<br />
person’s own convictions, at the same time leads to the awareness that his beliefs were<br />
not fully (or not at all) accurate. The critical reflection that appeared at this stage was<br />
the basis, allowing people to change their own way of thinking and acting. It was the<br />
first stage of the process known as reframing. Starting the process of changing the<br />
frame of reference is most often associated with the appearance of a certain disorienting<br />
dilemma. This process is associated with the observation of both their own lives<br />
and the lives of other people, their behaviors and attitudes.<br />
The second stage of transformative learning, according to the scheme proposed<br />
by J. Mezirow, is discourse. This stage is an internal dialogue of a person, in which they<br />
estimate their own ways of reasoning as well other people. At this stage of transformative<br />
learning, it can be seen that the disorienting dilemma which led to a critical reflection<br />
about one's own beliefs, then triggers a dialectical discourse that confirms the<br />
best, reflective judgment. Person uses both rational premises and intuitively accepted<br />
assumptions to transform their viewpoints and mental habits.<br />
The last third stage of transformative learning is action. It may be connected with<br />
taking up new activity or abandoning any action done previously. The activity is, of<br />
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Z. Wojciechowska: Functions of Education in the Perspective of Experiencing Changes...<br />
course, the result of the previous discourse, conducted by the subject in an internal dialogue,<br />
and may be connected with searching — trying a few options before a person<br />
chooses specific one. After the new actions are taken, an individual begins to reconstruct<br />
their life in accordance with the new assumptions — they are trying to adapt different<br />
areas of life to the new frame of reference. Taking actions that are consistent<br />
with the conclusion emerging from the inner dialogue is the culmination of the process<br />
of transformative learning. A person builds competence and self-confidence in new<br />
roles, they undertake various activities aimed at changing the current pattern of behavior,<br />
caused by inadequate interpretations made previously.<br />
While analyzing the collected narratives I followed the scheme proposed by J.<br />
Mezirow. What is interesting, it appeared that most of the narrators went through the<br />
process of transformative learning after experiencing changes in their professional life.<br />
I pointed out the stages of transformative learning process which could be really well<br />
seen in narratives from generation of 30+. Narrators from generation of 60+ were also<br />
going through the process of reframing, but they seemed not to be fully aware of their<br />
inner dialogue. They were a little bit less reflective, which was surprising, because I<br />
expected quite different results, taking into account their much wider life experience.<br />
There is probably such clear awareness about person’s own reflections among the 30+<br />
age group because they were raised after political and economic transformations which<br />
were also connected with socio-cultural changes in Poland. Especially in big cities,<br />
such as Warsaw (where all of the narrators were living), people tend to change their<br />
attitude from focusing on collective interests to be more focused on individual ones.<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
This paper is concerned with issues connected to the construction and reconstruction<br />
of one’s own biography by women and men in the perspective of their professional<br />
experience. I decided to explore this phenomenon through an individual, biographical<br />
perspective, by using narrative interviews. The main purpose of this research was studying<br />
the phenomenon of change in professional life considering sources of changes,<br />
types of changes experienced by narrators in their professional life, stages of change<br />
process in women and men (aged 30+ and 60+) their biographies and also the meaning<br />
of education in professional biography construction and reconstruction. Another<br />
crucial issue were functions which education may fulfill during experiencing changes<br />
in professional area. It appeared that in a situation of change education may fulfill various<br />
functions. There were some differences in some areas between the generation of<br />
30 + (therapeutic function, adaptive function, stratification function, insurance function,<br />
entertainment function and creating one’s own image function) and the generation of<br />
60+ (therapeutic function, adaptive function, stratification function, insurance function,<br />
social activation function). Nowadays, because of the acceleration of pace of human<br />
life, there is an unprecedented accumulation of changes in a relatively short life span<br />
of an individual. Contemporary people are forced to constantly cope with changes and<br />
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find ways to adapt to new conditions. Sometimes this may cause confusion and constant<br />
lack of adequacy of beliefs to the actual situation in the surrounding world. It can<br />
be assumed that a contemporary person must have a more flexible frame of reference<br />
— one that will allow them to make frequent changes and modifications. All this would<br />
mean that contemporary people must participate in an uninterrupted process of transformative<br />
learning in order to be able to act effectively in the surrounding reality.<br />
References<br />
Bauman Z. (2007a) Pĺynne czasy. Życie w epoce niepewności, tĺum. Maciek Żakowski,<br />
Wydawnictwo Sic!, Warszawa.<br />
Beck U. (2002) Spoĺeczeństwo ryzyka. W drodze do innej nowoczesności, tĺum. Stanisĺaw Cieśla,<br />
Wydawnictwo Naukowe “Scholar”, Warszawa.<br />
Giddens A. (2002) NowoczesnośÊ i tożsamośÊ. “Ja” i spoĺeczeństwo w epoce późnej<br />
nowoczesności, tĺum. Alina Szulżycka, PWN, Warszawa.<br />
Kargul J. (2013) Uczenie się dorosĺych w kulturze pośpiechu w: red. Ewa Solarczyk-Ambrozik<br />
Caĺożyciowe uczenie się jako wyzwanie dla teorii i praktyki edukacyjnej, Wydawnictwo<br />
Naukowe UAM, Poznań, p. 9-18.<br />
Kvale S. (2010) Prowadzenie wywiadów, tĺum. Agata Dziuban, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN,<br />
Warszawa.<br />
Malewski M. (2001) Teorie andragogiczne. Metodologia teoretyczności dyscypliny naukowej,<br />
Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocĺawskiego, Wrocĺaw.<br />
Mezirow J. (1991) Transformative Dimensions of Adult learning, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.<br />
Mezirow J. (2000) Learning to Think Like an Adult. Core Concepts of Transformation Theory, in: J.<br />
Mezirow & Asscociates, Learning as Transformation. Critical Perspectives on a Theory in<br />
Progress, San Francisco.<br />
Mezirow, J. (2009) An overview on transformative learning, w: K. Illeris (Ed..), Contemporary<br />
Theories of learning. Learning theorists... in their own words. London and New York:<br />
Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.<br />
Silverman D. (2016) Prowadzenie badań jakościowych, tĺum. Joanna Ostrowska, Wydawnictwo<br />
Naukowe PWN, Warszawa.<br />
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About the Authors<br />
Christian ABRY has a PhD (Docteur d’État) in language sciences from Grenoble University. He<br />
was a professor of experimental phonetics from 1998 to 2008 and head of the Language<br />
Department. He has contributed to numerous international journals (Perception & Psychophysics,<br />
Behavioral and Brain Sciences, NeuroImage, Journal of Neurolinguistics…) and is<br />
book editor of Vocalize to Localize (2009), Primate Communication and Human Language<br />
(2011). His main interests are speech multimodal brain control, working memory, development<br />
& language evolution and oral narratives. Christian is presently senior editor of the<br />
series in ethnology titled Le Monde Alpin et Rhodanien (Musée Dauphinois, Grenoble). E-<br />
mail: chris.abry@orange.fr<br />
Dionigi ALBERA is an anthropologist and senior research fellow at the French National Centre<br />
for Scientific Research (CNRS). He is based at the IDEMEC (Institute of European Mediterranean<br />
and Comparative Ethnology, Aix-Marseille University, France), which he directed<br />
from 2006 to 2016. His research has focused on Europe and the Mediterranean, and his interests<br />
include migration, kinship and family, pilgrimage and interfaith mixing.<br />
Fabio ARMAND, joint PhD in linguistics (University Grenoble-Alpes) and in psychology, anthropology,<br />
educational sciences (University of Turin), Assistant Professor, Institute Pierre Gardette,<br />
“Discourses, Cultural and Religious Aspects”, UCLy. He conducted his research on<br />
experience-centered narrative heritage in faraway alpine environments: from French-speaking<br />
Alps to Himalayan Nepal, especially among the Newar people, a Tibeto-Burman-speaking<br />
ethnic group, and Bahun-Chhetri high Hindu castes. He contributed to the development<br />
of a cross-cultural BRAINCUBUS model in comparative neurocognitive anthropology,<br />
elaborating a framework in order to bridge the gap between fieldwork in folkloristics and<br />
cognitive neuroscience. He is co-author of two dictionaries (Italian-Francoprovençal-<br />
French, 2013; Italian-Nepalese, 2017) and several international scientific papers.<br />
Toni BABAROVI∆ is a scientific advisor at the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar and associate<br />
professor at the University of Zagreb, Croatia. His research interests are in fields of work<br />
and vocational psychology as well as psychology of education and quality of life. He is the<br />
author or co-author of more than thirty peer-reviewed journal articles, eight book chapters,<br />
one monography and more than eighty conference abstracts. He is a member of the European<br />
Society for Vocational Designing and Career Counseling (ESVDC), the International<br />
Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG) and the Croatian Psychological<br />
Association.<br />
Tihana BABI∆, MA, graduated in philosophy and Croatology (Croatian culture) at the University<br />
Department of Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb. She is currently a PhD candidate<br />
in information and communication sciences at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences,<br />
University of Zagreb. Tihana has worked at Algebra University College since 2013, first<br />
as head of Student Services, and since <strong>2018</strong>, as University secretary. She is also a lecturer<br />
in the field of information and communication sciences. Her interests are wide and multidisciplinary,<br />
including education, knowledge management, creativity, innovation and especially<br />
communication and ethics.<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
Predrag BEJAKOVI∆ earned his doctorate at the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb and now works<br />
at the Institute of Public Finance in Zagreb. He was a Kingdom of Denmark scholar in Copenhagen,<br />
a Fulbright scholar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a British Council<br />
scholar. Predrag has taken part in a number of projects, such as the Underground Economy<br />
and the Development of the Tax Administration and Pensions Reform. He has published<br />
papers in scientific and professional journals and is author and co-author of numerous<br />
books in the fields of the economy, the pension system, education (particularly VET<br />
and adult education), policy planning, public finance and labour economics.<br />
Inoslav BE©KER (Zagreb, 1950) obtained a BSc degree in sociology and an MA degree in journalism<br />
from the University of Zagreb and earned a PhD in Comparative Slavistics from the<br />
University of Milan. He has worked as a professional journalist since 1969. He is a professor<br />
of philology at the University of Split and a professor of communication studies at the<br />
University of Zagreb and Dubrovnik. He has received awards for defending human and<br />
minority rights (Premio Calabria 1996, Otto von Habsburg 2015, Joπko KuluπiÊ 2016), for<br />
philology (Kiklop 2008) and for journalism (Life Achievement Awards Otokar Kerπovani<br />
2008 and Joπko KuluπiÊ <strong>2018</strong>).<br />
Ekaterina A. BLINOVA, PhD, is an associate professor specialising in the field of tourism and<br />
sports management at Department of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics (PRUE).<br />
She has been teaching for more than eighteen years at the Faculty of Business (PRUE),<br />
PRUE Graduate School, Department of Hospitality, Tourism, Restaurant and Sports, at MIR-<br />
BIS and at GASIS. Ekaterina has participated in numerous projects for monitoring federal<br />
targeted programs in the field of higher education of the Russian Federation and on the<br />
development of recommendations in the field of management of higher education institutions<br />
as well as internationalisation of Russian universities.<br />
Nikolina BOR»I∆, PhD, is a professor of German and Russian languages and literature. She<br />
earned her master’s degree in European studies (2008), after which she obtained two PhDs<br />
— first in linguistics in 2012 and then in communication studies in 2017. Political communication<br />
of German and Croatian politicians, with an emphasis on the connection between<br />
political position, impact theory and language have been the focus of both her doctoral<br />
theses as well as her articles and scientific papers. Nikolina has worked at VERN' University<br />
of Applied Sciences in Zagreb since 2002, where she teaches German, Business Communication,<br />
Political Communication and Celebrity Management Strategies. She is also<br />
head of the Office of Quality Management at VERN'.<br />
Miro BORI∆ is a hotel and camp resort manager at Club Adriatic d.o.o. He was born in 1991 in<br />
Makarska, Croatia, where he completed his high school education. He obtained his bachelor´s<br />
degree in business and his master's degree in tourism at the Faculty of Business and<br />
Economics in Zagreb. The title of his thesis was _Analysis of Characteristics and Trends of<br />
Tourism Development on the Makarska Riviera. In co-authorship with a colleague, he<br />
wrote a scientific paper titled “Sustainable Tourism as the Foundation of the Future Development<br />
of Tourism Supply: A Case Study of the Island of Loπinj”, published in 2017.<br />
Andreja BRAJ©A-ÆGANEC is a senior scientific advisor at the Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences<br />
in Zagreb and a full professor with tenure of developmental psychology at the University<br />
of Zagreb. Her research interests include psychosocial adjustment of children and<br />
youth, family and parenting, children’s well-being, quality of family and school life and sat-<br />
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About the Authors<br />
isfaction with family interaction. She has also participated in many major research projects.<br />
Andreja is currently a member of the research team for the CRO-WELL Croatian Longitudinal<br />
Study of Well-Being project and for the Horizon 2020 ECDP-European Cohort Development<br />
Project. She has published nine books and sixty research articles/book chapters<br />
and has attended sixty-one international and forty-nine national conferences.<br />
Tihana BRKLJA»I∆ is a senior research associate at the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar in<br />
Zagreb and an associate professor at the Catholic University in Zagreb. She received a PhD<br />
in psychology from Zagreb University in 2003. She is currently a research associate on the<br />
CRO-WELL (Croatian Longitudinal Well-Being Study) project, national coordinator of the<br />
international project A Phubbing Phenomenon: Its Predictors and Consequences in a Cross-<br />
Cultural Perspective and a member of the COST action CA16207 — European Network for<br />
Problematic Usage of the Internet. Tihana has collaborated on over twenty scientific projects,<br />
published over thirty scientific articles and participated in over thirty scientific conferences.<br />
Anita BU©LJETA TONKOVI∆, PhD, is a research associate at the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo<br />
Pilar, Regional Centre GospiÊ (Croatia). She studied sociology and pedagogy at the University<br />
of Zadar in 2007 and obtained her PhD in sociology at the University of Zagreb in 2014.<br />
Her scientific areas of interest are rural sociology, social ecology and sustainable development.<br />
She wrote a book entitled The Sustainable Development of Central Lika: Contribution<br />
to an Analysis of Human and Social Capital. In <strong>2018</strong>, she was a reviewer of the Croatian<br />
edition of Michael Woods’ book Rural Geography. Anita was promoted to assistant<br />
professor at the University of Zadar in <strong>2018</strong>.<br />
Leon CAPPELLI is an audit senior at the Deloitte & Touche Milan office. He was born in Mali<br />
Loπinj in 1992 where he finished both elementary and high school. He obtained his bachelor’s<br />
degree in business at the Faculty of Business and Economics in Zagreb and his master’s<br />
degree in accounting, financial management and controlling at Bocconi University in<br />
Milan. The title of his master’s thesis is “The Analysis of the Presence of Offshore Entities<br />
in the Top 50 Corporations from the Fortune Global 500 List in 2016”. He started working<br />
at Deloitte & Touche during his last year at Bocconi University and has since been employed<br />
there in the auditing department.<br />
Claude CELLICH is vice president of external relations at the International University in Geneva<br />
and visiting professor of cross-cultural business negotiations at the University of Economics<br />
in Prague. Prior to joining academia, he held diplomatic positions with the International<br />
Trade Centre, a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.<br />
He has coauthored textbooks on business negotiations and trade promotion strategies. He<br />
holds graduate degrees in economics and business administration and was the recipient of<br />
the 75 th Medal of Excellence from the Helsinki School of Economics<br />
Alexandre CHIKALANOV is an MSc in mathematics and a PhD in computer science (IT). He has<br />
thirty-five years of wide experience in system analyses assessment of information flows, data<br />
acquisition, data processing and documents control, software quality assurance, data<br />
base development and expert system elaboration, Internet-based applications, communications<br />
and software. He has been an associate professor at the University of Library Study<br />
and Information Technology since 2014. His current areas of interests include application<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
of the Internet of things and the future of Internet technologies in smart cities, smart ecology,<br />
etc.<br />
Predrag »UDINA was born in Zagreb on June 23, 1965. He has been a senior lecturer at the Zagreb<br />
School of Business since its founding. He has attended several professional courses<br />
at VERN’ University, Berufsakademie Nordhessen, Gea College Ljubljana and the Business<br />
Academy Rijeka (PAR) school in Rijeka. Predrag studied at the University of Zagreb and Vienna,<br />
and at the University of Mainz and Amsterdam. He is the author of several professional<br />
papers and two books: Introduction to Business Planning and Introduction to Business<br />
Logistics. He is currently a PhD student of the “New Educational Paradigms” study<br />
programme at the University of Pula.<br />
Zlatko –UKI∆ was born in Osijek, Croatia in 1971. In 1996, he graduated from the Faculty of<br />
Law at the J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek where he also earned his MA degree in<br />
2003. He earned his PhD degree at the University of Zadar in 2009. His main areas of interest<br />
concern issues related to maritime navigation from the perspective of ancient legal<br />
codes. He is currently employed as an assistant professor at the Department of History at<br />
the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek.<br />
Damira –UKEC was born on June 6 th , 1982 in »akovec. She graduated in January 2006 at the<br />
Faculty of Economics in Zagreb where she continued her studies in the postgraduate master's<br />
program in Political Economy Development — Economics and Development. She<br />
graduated in 2008. In 2010, she started her doctoral study at the Faculty of Management in<br />
Tourism and Hospitality in Opatija. She successfully defended her doctoral thesis “Measuring<br />
and Evaluating Labour Productivity in Tourism” in Opatija on March 27, 2012. She is<br />
currently employed at North University at the Department of Economics as an assistant professor.<br />
Lidija FI©TREK is a PhD candidate/researcher (2017) at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities<br />
and Social Sciences in the interdisciplinary doctoral program of literature, performing<br />
arts, film and culture. She earned her Mag. Ing. /MA degree (2011) at the Faculty of<br />
Textile Technology in Zagreb, gaining the title of Master of Theory and Culture of Fashion.<br />
Lidija is a lecturer at VERN' University of Applied Sciences in Zagreb and has specialised<br />
in event management since 2017. In her work and research, she has focused on the areas<br />
of the visual arts, performing arts, culture and promotion of Croatian cultural heritage<br />
through various projects in culture and tourism.<br />
Renata FRANC, PhD, is a senior scientific advisor at the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar and<br />
a full professor of social and political psychology at the University of Zagreb. Her research<br />
interests include youth, political attitudes, participation and intergroup relations. She is currently<br />
working on several research projects (H2020: DARE — Dialogue about Radicalisation<br />
and Inequality, CHIEF — Cultural Heritage and Identities of Europe's Future, ECDP —<br />
European Cohort Development Project). Her recent publications include Franc, R., & PavloviÊ,<br />
T. (<strong>2018</strong>). Systematic Review of Quantitative Studies on Inequality and Radicalisation.<br />
DARE; Pilkington, H., Pollock, G. & Franc, R. (<strong>2018</strong>). Understanding Youth Participation<br />
Across Europe. Springer.<br />
Silvana FRATRI∆ KUNAC graduated in psychology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences<br />
(University of Zagreb, Croatia). She has more than twenty years of experience in the<br />
educational field, mostly as a teacher of psychology, but has also created and conducted<br />
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About the Authors<br />
both in-house and independent training courses for various organizations. She is employed<br />
at VERN’ University of Applied Sciences as a lecturer in Business Psychology and Communication,<br />
Organizational Psychology and Social Psychology. Silvana has authored several<br />
publications.<br />
Marija GEIGER ZEMAN, PhD, is a sociologist. She works at the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo<br />
Pilar in Zagreb. Recently, she became a lecturer at VERN' University of Applied Sciences.<br />
In her professional work, she is interested in gender issues, aging studies, socio-cultural aspects<br />
of sustainability and qualitative methodology. In 2010, she received the annual National<br />
Science Award in the field of social sciences.<br />
Marina GREGORI∆, PhD, is a senior lecturer at Meappleimurje Polytechnic in »akovec at the Department<br />
of Tourism and Sports Management for the following courses: Destination Management,<br />
Strategic Management in Tourism and Sports, Congress Management, Economics for<br />
Managers, Entrepreneurship in Tourism and Sport, Hotel Management, Promotion of Tourist<br />
Destinations, Economics and Organisation of Business. She is an external associate at<br />
the University College Nikola ©ubiÊ Zrinski in Zagreb. She is also a guest lecturer at the<br />
Plekhanov Russian University of Economics in Moscow and teaches courses in tourism<br />
management, destination and promotion of tourist destinations. She received a management<br />
training course from the British Know-How Management Fund in Great Britain.<br />
Martina GREGORI∆, MBA, graduated at the Zagreb School of Economics and Management in<br />
Zagreb, Croatia and completed an MBA program in management. As a continuation of her<br />
academic research, she has published more than ten research papers and participated in<br />
international conferences on the topics of sustainability, corporate social responsibility and<br />
management (in International research data bases such as Scopus, etc.). In order to broaden<br />
her knowledge and continue her education, she enrolled at York University in Canada<br />
where she is studying Language Arts and Professional Studies with a major in English.<br />
Zrinka GREGOV obtained her BS in agricultural engineering, holds an MS in biology and an<br />
MBA degree. Currently she is a student in the international PhD programme in International<br />
Economic Relations and Management. Zrinka Gregov is a HE lecturer of Entrepreneurship<br />
at VERN' University of Applied Sciences and at the University College of Economics,<br />
Entrepreneurship and Management Nikola ©ubic Zrinski in Zagreb, Croatia. Her bibliography<br />
contains more than thirty units in biotechnology and entrepreneurship, and she has<br />
participated in many domestic and international conferences. She is also a certified teacher/trainer<br />
of entrepreneurship, secretary of the Entrepreneurship Teachers Association in<br />
Croatia and a member of EFMD.<br />
Silvija GRGI∆ graduated in educational physics, technology and computer science at the Department<br />
of Physics at the Faculty of Science. She has worked at Algebra University College<br />
since 2009 as vice-dean for academic affairs and as a lecturer. Silvija is a certified expert<br />
for the external independent periodic review of the quality assurance system in Croatia and<br />
Slovenia, a certified ECDL trainer as well as author and co-author of scientific papers and<br />
books in the field of information technology. She holds workshops in the field of quality<br />
assurance, methodological and didactic training and the development of occupational<br />
standards. She is a PhD candidate in information and communication sciences.<br />
Boris HAJO© is an experienced public relations practitioner in corporate communications, government<br />
and NGO communications. He teaches public relations at several universities and<br />
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colleges in Croatia. He has edited several books on the topic of public relations and has<br />
been an invited speaker at many PR conferences and tailored educational programmes. Boris<br />
works as a public relations consultant and communication expert on various EU projects.<br />
He is a PhD candidate in the Media and Communication Programme at North University<br />
in Croatia. His research efforts focus on the development of the public relations of<br />
civil society organizations, social media and corporate communications.<br />
Ivan HEGEDU© is a senior lecturer at the Meappleimurje Polytechnic in »akovec at the Department<br />
of Tourism and Sports Management. He is course leader for Fundamentals of Tourism,<br />
Tourism and Development, Tourism Economics, Specific Forms of Tourism, Economy and<br />
Organization of Business Systems. Ivan has acted as head of the Tourism and Sports Management<br />
Department since 2015. He has published several scientific and professional papers<br />
in reputable journals and has presented papers at international congresses at home<br />
and abroad. Ivan was leader of the EU project Encouraging Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups<br />
in the Labour Market in the Tourism and Catering Sector by Applying an Innovative Approach.<br />
Miranda HERCEG completed an MA in Design at the School of Design, Faculty of Architecture,<br />
University of Zagreb. She is professionally active in a broad artistic scope, ranging from design<br />
to film. Her works have been part of Croatian and international design exhibitions,<br />
film festivals and programmes, and received professional awards and recognitions. She is<br />
a lecturer at Film, Television and Multimedia Study at VERN’ University of Applied Sciences.<br />
She is a member of the Croatian Designers Association (HDD), the Croatian Association<br />
of Artists of the Applied Arts (ULUPUH) and the Croatian Association of Independent<br />
Artists (HZSU).<br />
Neven HITREC, born in 1967 in Zagreb (Croatia), graduated Film and TV Directing at the Academy<br />
of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. He is the author of several award-winning documentary<br />
and fiction films which been acclaimed both in Croatia and at international film festivals.<br />
He won the annual award for film art, Vladimir Nazor, and also the City of Zagreb Award.<br />
Zlatko HODAK has held the position of chairman of the board of Narodne novine, a joint-stock<br />
company from Zagreb, since August 2017. He has thirty-four years of work experience in<br />
economics, with twenty-nine years in managerial positions. He has carried out the following<br />
activities in his career: management of a joint stock company, creation of a business<br />
and society development policy and work on development projects. He is a PhD in the<br />
field of economics and has the status of senior lecturer at business colleges in Croatia. He<br />
is author of over twenty professional and scientific papers in the field of management, marketing<br />
and finance. He has participated and lectured in a dozen professional-scientific international<br />
conferences in the field of entrepreneurship, management and marketing.<br />
Mirela HOLY, PhD, is a professor of ethnology and comparative literature. After her political career<br />
as Minister of Environment and MP, she began her career at VERN’ University in Zagreb<br />
as head of three graduate study programmes: Business Communication Management,<br />
Human Resources Management and Sustainable Tourism Management. She has published<br />
five books and many articles about the environment, human rights and communication.<br />
Mirela received the Miko Tripalo award in 2012 for outstanding contribution to promoting<br />
democracy and human rights in society.<br />
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About the Authors<br />
Dajana Maria HORVAT graduated from the Faculty of Organization and Informatics in Varaædin,<br />
Croatia at the Department of Economics. She is the project manager of the Living Castles<br />
project, part of the Interreg Slovenia-Croatia program, where Meappleimurje Polytechnic is the<br />
leading partner. She is also a lecturer at the Meappleimurje Polytechnic of »akovec at the Department<br />
of Tourism and Sports Management and the Department of Sustainable Development.<br />
Dajana Maria is the module coordinator for the courses Fundamentals of Economics,<br />
Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Economics for Managers and Economics and Business<br />
Organization. Dajana Maria is currently studying at the postgraduate specialist study<br />
programme Entrepreneurship and EU Funds at University North.<br />
Eva HORVÁTOVÁ is a professor of finance at the University of Economics in Bratislava and at<br />
the Masaryk University in Brno. She lectures on banking and works with PhD students. She<br />
has written several monographs and scientific articles on banking and financial markets.<br />
She attended lectures and study stays in Luxembourg, Portugal, Germany and Switzerland.<br />
Eva is also engaged in practical appraisal activities, including finance, controlling and valuation<br />
of banks and financial institutions. She is currently head of the Department of Banking<br />
and International Finance at the Faculty of National Economy at the University of Economics<br />
in Bratislava.<br />
Anica HUNJET, PhD, was born on March 21, 1964 in Ivanac and lives in Varaædin, Croatia. She<br />
completed the Textile Technology study programme at the Faculty of Textile Technology,<br />
University of Zagreb, In 2002, she earned a Master of Science (MSc) degree at the Faculty<br />
of Textile Technology, University of Zagreb and she obtained a master's degree in technical<br />
sciences in the textile field technology, branch of textile chemistry. Anica earned her<br />
doctorate degree in technical sciences in the scientific field of textile technology, branch<br />
textile chemistry at the Faculty of Textile Technology at the University of Zagreb. Anica<br />
Hunjet is currently an associate professor and vice-rector for scientific and artistic work and<br />
international collaboration at North University.<br />
Jadranka IVANKOVI∆ is a college professor and head of the Entrepreneurship and Management<br />
Department at VERN' University in Zagreb. She earned her PhD in 2010 at the Faculty of<br />
Economics in Rijeka. Jadranka teaches courses in marketing and management in both Croatian<br />
and English. She has been teaching since 2005. She has gained considerable business<br />
experience in her twenty-five years of work in the food and pharmaceutical industries. She<br />
has held different management positions, such as marketing director, executive director of<br />
the Strategic Business Unit and board member for Marketing and R&D in Podravka d.d.Koprivnica.<br />
She has published more than twenty scientific and professional articles and has<br />
been actively participating in professional and scientific conferences.<br />
Yuliyan IVANOV PETKOV has a bachelor's degree in computer science — programmer, business<br />
management systems and has a master's degree in software engineering. He earned<br />
his doctorate on the topic of software platforms for intelligent systems based on the Future<br />
Internet. Currently he is a PhD student at the University of Library Studies and Information<br />
Technologies. He is also a part-time lecturer on information technologies at the University<br />
of Library Studies and Information Technologies. Yuliyan also maintains communication<br />
systems and services for the Institute of Information and Communication Technologies at<br />
the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.<br />
Borna JUR»EVI∆ was born on February 15, 1986 in Zagreb. He is an assistant at the University<br />
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of Croatian Studies at the University of Zagreb and teaches Contemporary History, while<br />
also pursuing his PhD on European Union integrations. In 2013, he earned a master’s degree<br />
in history (academic and teaching track). Borna completed the 5 th International School<br />
of Fundraising at Berkshire, Crowthorne, England and held an internship at the EU Parliament<br />
in 2014.<br />
Katica JUR»EVI∆, PhD, completed her doctoral studies in the field of sociology — migration and<br />
social history at Bremen University, Germany. She has spent time abroad researching the<br />
Croatian diaspora in Toronto and Ontario, Canada. She participated in various research<br />
projects relating to migration, intercultural legal issues and migrant labour at IMIS, Osnabrück<br />
and Bremen universities in Germany. Katica researched migration at the Institute of<br />
Social Sciences Ivo Pilar and is currently the director of the Research Institute of the University<br />
Department of Croatian Studies at the University of Zagreb, focusing her reseach on<br />
migration, return migration and Croatian culture and diaspora.<br />
Ljiljana KALITERNA LIPOV»AN is a senior scientific advisor at the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo<br />
Pilar in Zagreb. She received her PhD in psychology at the University of Zagreb in 1989.<br />
Ljiljana has led five international and ten national projects and has participated in twenty<br />
more. Currently she is leading the national CRO-WELL Croatian Longitudinal Survey of<br />
Well-Being project and is collaborating on the Horizon 2020 ECDP — European Cohort<br />
Development Project. Her scientific interests include quality of life, subjective well-being,<br />
psychophysiology of work and ageing. She has published ninety-five articles and two monographs<br />
and has edited three proceedings; Ljiljana has attended sixty international and thirty-five<br />
national conferences.<br />
Josip KASUM, PhD, was born in Zagreb, Croatia. He earned a master's degree in 1997/1998 in<br />
technical sciences (scientific field of maritime transport technology). In 2002, he earned a<br />
doctoral degree in technical sciences (scientific field of maritime transport technology). He<br />
is fluent in English. The Faculty Council of the Maritime Faculty at the University of Split<br />
granted him the academic title of full university professor in 2010. He was head of the Department<br />
for Forensic Science at the University of Split. Josip is an associate member of the<br />
American Academy of Forensic Science — AAFS.<br />
Damira KE»EK was born on September 29 th , 1981 in »akovec. In 2007, she graduated from the<br />
Faculty of Science in Zagreb, at the Department of Mathematics, programme Financial and<br />
Business Mathematics. In <strong>2018</strong>, she successfully defended her doctoral thesis “Development<br />
and Application of the Modified Model of ICT Sectors Extraction in the Croatian Economy”<br />
at University North in Varaædin within the International Joint Cross-Border PhD Programme<br />
in International Economic Relations and Management. She currently works as a<br />
senior lecturer at University North in Varaædin.<br />
Branko KOSTELNIK is a publicist, producer and multimedia professional. He obtained his MA<br />
in sociology from Ljubljana University and is currently a PhD candidate in comparative literature<br />
at Zagreb University. He works as a producer at the Museum of Contemporary Art,<br />
Zagreb. Branko has published numerous articles, essays and interviews about pop culture,<br />
rock music and contemporary art in professional reviews, magazines and newspapers since<br />
1978. He is president of the Croatian Society for Research in Popular Music and was also<br />
a founding member of the art rock band Roderick (1983, later Roderick Novy) and multimedia<br />
art project Gorgona Nova (2012).<br />
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About the Authors<br />
Jelena KOVA» was born in Zagreb in 1992. She finished elementary and high school in Zagreb<br />
and graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Business Zagreb in 2017. As an external<br />
associate she held seminars within several courses during the academic year 2017—<br />
<strong>2018</strong> and <strong>2018</strong>—2019: Management, Management for Non-Profit Organizations, Profit Centers<br />
and Entrepreneurship and Procurement Management. She is co-author of several scientific<br />
papers and has participated in dozens of professional and scientific workshops, national<br />
and international conferences. Jelena won the Rector's Award in 2015 with the paper<br />
titled “Perceptions of Young People About the Activities of Social Supermarkets in Croatia.”<br />
Dubravko KRAUS was born in Zagreb, Croatia. He has more than ten years of professional experience<br />
and is currently working as lecturer and head of the International Office at VERN'<br />
University of Applied Sciences, Zagreb. He is a mentor and co-mentor to student teams at<br />
international competitions. Dubravko obtained an MSc degree in International Relations<br />
and Diplomacy at Libertas University (Zagreb), an MBA in Entrepreneurship and European<br />
Management at the United Business Institutes (Bruxelles) & VERN' University of Applied<br />
Sciences (Zagreb) and is attending a specialist graduate programme in entrepreneurial<br />
management at VERN' University of Applied Sciences (Zagreb).<br />
Svea KR©UL graduated from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Zagreb University<br />
in 1983 with a BA degree in English Language and Literature and German Language and<br />
Literature. She has been a lecturer at VERN’ University of Applied Sciences since 2002<br />
where she teaches Business English, English for Journalists, English for PR and the Media<br />
and Academic English. In 1985 she started her first teaching job at the Center for Foreign<br />
Languages in Zagreb, followed by Zagreb Art Grammar School and ELS Language Centers<br />
in Shanghai, China. She has attended international conferences and participated in Pilgrims<br />
teacher training courses in Canterbury, UK.<br />
Andrej LACKOVI∆ graduted from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Zagreb and<br />
earned the title of professor of physics and computer technology in 2009. In the following<br />
academic year he became an assistant for the courses Programming and Introduction to<br />
Databases. After he earned the title of lecturer in 2014, Andrej became a course leader for<br />
the courses Mathematics 1 and Mathematics 2. In 2015, he enrolled in a postgraduate study<br />
programme at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, Department of Information<br />
and Communication Sciences.<br />
Natasha LEVAK was born in Australia where she completed a Bachelor in Education, Masters in<br />
Education — Management, Masters in Applied Linguistics and a doctorate in the fields of<br />
Education/Social Sciences focusing on socio-linguistics, computer-mediated communication<br />
and pedagogy investigating collaborative virtual transnational spaces for developing<br />
Croatian culture and language. She worked on virtual teams research projects in the Faculty<br />
of Business, USQ prior to moving to Croatia. Natasha is currently employed at the Research<br />
Institute of Croatian Studies of the University of Zagreb focusing on interdisciplinary<br />
research on topics relating to Croatia, the Croatian diaspora, return-migration: identity,<br />
culture and entrepreneurial behaviours.<br />
María Florencia LUCHETTI earned a doctorate in social sciences and a Master of Science in Communication<br />
and Culture from the University of Buenos Aires, where she graduated in sociology.<br />
She has researched the relationship between the film industry and the State, the<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
newsreel and the symbolic construction related to the image of the internal enemy from<br />
1955 to 1973 in Argentina. She was a research assistant at the Gino Germani Research Institute<br />
of the University of Buenos Aires. She currently works at the Research Institute of<br />
Croatian Studies at the University of Zagreb, where she researches issues related to Croatian<br />
migration in South America.<br />
Lana LU»I∆ holds a master’s degree in psychology, and she is currently a PhD student at the<br />
University of Zagreb. She is employed at the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar in Zagreb<br />
as a research assistant on the CRO-WELL (Croatian Longitudinal Well-Being Study) project<br />
under the mentorship of prof. dr. sc. Ljiljana Kaliterna LipovËan. Her field of interest is social<br />
psychology, with a special interest in the well-being of families with children with developmental<br />
difficulties. So far, she has published three scientific articles and was an active<br />
participant in several conferences.<br />
Axel LUTTENBERGER is a full professor with permanent tenure at the Faculty of Maritime Studies<br />
at the University of Rijeka. He earned his bachelor’s degree in law at the Faculty of Law<br />
in Rijeka, and gained Master of Law and Doctor of Law degrees at the Faculty of Law in<br />
Split. He worked in the local government and government public service while he served<br />
as city mayor of Opatija and was a member of the Croatian Parliament. He has published<br />
four books and over ninety-five academic papers. His main activities are teaching maritime,<br />
commercial and ecology law at various universities and vocational programs.<br />
Mariyana LYUBENOVA, PhD, is a professor at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Department<br />
of Ecology and Environmental Protection, at the Faculty of Biology. She earned her<br />
PhD at Institute of Botany and Mycology, Bulgarian Academy of Science. She teaches Ecology<br />
and EP, Bio Resources and their Protection, Methods of Ecological Researches, Ecological<br />
Monitoring, Functional Biocenology, Phytoecology, Ecotoxicology, Chronoecology<br />
and Natural Ecosystems. She is an author of 185 publications, including 10 books and 3<br />
handbooks. She received a Certificate for Excellence in 2013 and participated in 22 international<br />
and 19 national projects. She is a member of 4 scientific organizations and 3 editorial<br />
boards.<br />
Damir MAGA©, PhD, is a full professor. He earned his BA in geography in 1975, MA in spatial<br />
planning in 1983 and PhD in geography in 1992. He is a full professor since 2001, was<br />
head of the Department of Geography in Zadar 1994—2000 and was dean of the Faculty<br />
of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zadar 2002—2003. He was a rector of the University<br />
of Zadar 2002—2007 and is head of the Centre for Karst and Coastal Research since 2007.<br />
His special interests are regional geography of Croatia, regionalisation, historical geography<br />
and islands. He has published 190 papers, chapters and books and has participated in<br />
120 conferences, symposiums, etc.<br />
Kata MAGA© teaches geography at Zadar High School and is a lecturer at the Department of Geography<br />
at the University of Zadar, where she teaches Geography Teaching Methodology.<br />
She completed her studies in applied geography at the Faculty of Sciences, Department of<br />
Geography, in Zagreb in 1975. Kata has been a geography teacher at Zadar high schools<br />
since 1976 and a university lecturer since 2008. She co-authored the Methodical Handbook<br />
for Geography Teachers and is the author of numerous articles in professional journals<br />
(Croatian Geography, Geoadria, etc.). In her research work, Kata is particularly interested<br />
in the issue of education in Croatia.<br />
658
About the Authors<br />
Ivan MALO»A was born in 1962 in Knin. In 2017, he obtained a PhD from the Faculty of Economics<br />
in Osijek. He has been working in the AV industry since 1990, when he founded<br />
Interfilm. He has produced more than thirty feature films, thirty-odd documentaries and TV<br />
series and over 100 films for specific purposes. He was winner of the Albert KapoviÊ<br />
award, three Grand Golden Arena awards for best festival film and five Golden Gate of Pula<br />
Audience awards. Ivan has published a number of papers, and he teaches marketing,<br />
management, financing and production of audiovisual works at VERN' University, Baltazar<br />
University and the Academy of Dramatic Art.<br />
Antonija MAR–ETKO is a student at the Meappleimurje Polytechnic in »akovec. She was born on<br />
June 9, 1995 in Koprivnica, where she attended secondary school. In 2014, she enrolled in<br />
the professional study programme of Tourism and Sports Management and graduated in<br />
2017 as a Bachelor of Economics — Tourism and Sports Management. That same year, she<br />
enrolled in the specialist study program Tourism Management and Sports Management at<br />
Meappleimurje Polytechnic. She is active in volunteering and volunteers at associations for people<br />
with intellectual disabilities.<br />
Ivana MARI∆ was born in Split in 1972. She finished elementary and high school in Split, and<br />
she graduated from the Faculty of Organization and Informatics in Varaædin in 1995. She<br />
has been teaching at the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb since 2013, where she teaches<br />
Management of Non-Profit Organizations, Profit Centers and Entrepreneurship and Management<br />
in professional and doctoral study programmes. Ivana received her PhD degree<br />
in 2011 at the Faculty of Economics and Business in Zagreb. She is the author of the Management<br />
for Non-Profit Organizations university textbook and has participated in numerous<br />
international and domestic scientific conferences.<br />
Sanda MARJANOVI∆, MA, graduated from the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and<br />
Social Sciences with a master's degree in French and German language and literature. She<br />
has been permanently employed since 1991 as a teacher at well-known foreign language<br />
schools in Zagreb. She has been working as an external associate at VERN' University of<br />
Applied Sciences since 2008. Sanda has been a lecturer at the University of Applied Health<br />
Sciences in Zagreb since 2014 where she teaches undergraduate students of applied health<br />
sciences. She has authored many teacher's books, professional papers and work books and<br />
is a reviewer and leader of many German language workshops.<br />
Jadranka MATI∆ gained a degree in geology at the Faculty of Science at the University of Zagreb<br />
in 1984. She was involved in prospecting of bauxite and oil shales until 1998. After<br />
1998, she worked as a civil servant at the state office responsible for environmental protection.<br />
She performed tasks related to evaluating environmental reports, which mostly<br />
concerned mineral resources, gas pipelines and drilling rigs, marine aquaculture farms, municipal<br />
landfills, but also flood control systems, water reservoirs, ferry terminals and other<br />
ports, etc. Since <strong>2018</strong>, she has been in charge of tasks associated with prospecting and exploitation<br />
of hydrocarbons.<br />
Draga MIHELI∆ was born in Bijele Vode, Glina. She became a professor in biology in 1993 and<br />
earned her doctoral degree in 2011 at the Faculty of Science at the University of Zagreb.<br />
From 1995 to 2007, she worked as a teacher of biology at high schools and elementary<br />
schools. She has worked at the Ministry of Environmental Protection as senior expert advisor<br />
since 2007. Draga was involved in genetic research throughout high school until she<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
completed her doctoral dissertation, and she has authored several scientific papers. She also<br />
publishes research papers in the field of environmental protection.<br />
Mario MIKULAN was born on March 11, 1967 and lives in Varaædin, Croatia. He is married and<br />
is blessed with two children. Medical education: School of Medicine, University of Zagreb,<br />
Croatia 1986-1991, specialisation in psychiatry, 1994—1998. He has wide experience in personal<br />
psychoanalysis, group analysis, gestalt psychotherapy (two postgraduate studies and<br />
numerous trainings). He is the director of the clinic Poliklinika Æiva, Croatia and is the head<br />
of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and works as a psychiatrist and psychotherapist.<br />
He has a special interest in the field of ecology and the field of personal development<br />
— natural, emotional and spiritual.<br />
Davor MIKULI∆ was born on May 1 st , 1972 in Zagreb. In 1994, he graduated from the Faculty<br />
of Economics and Business in Zagreb, programme Macroeconomic Analysis. In 2000, he<br />
successfully defended his doctoral thesis “Estimation of the Unofficial Economy in Croatia<br />
Based on the System of National Accounts” at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University<br />
of Zagreb. He has been working at the Institute of Economics in Zagreb since 1994,<br />
currently as a senior research fellow in permanent position. His fields of interest are macroeconomic<br />
analysis, unofficial economy, input-output analysis and national accounting.<br />
Geran-Marko MILETI∆ is a senior research associate at the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar.<br />
He is a sociologist, and his research interests are broadly concerned with the social aspects<br />
of spatial transformation. Some of his interests include second homes, housing aspirations,<br />
local social relations, neighbourhood social cohesion, community involvement and research<br />
methodology. So far, he has participated in twenty research projects and was the PI<br />
of a research project focused on the social aspects of the second-home phenomenon in<br />
Croatia (UIP 1875 Second Homes and Social Sustainability of Local Communities in Croatia).<br />
Æeljko MRNJAVAC is a full professor at the University of Split, Faculty of Economics, Business<br />
and Tourism. He is a member of the EUROFOUND Advisory Committee for labour market<br />
change. He held several longer fellowships at universities in Venice, Padua, Vienna, Linz,<br />
Erlangen-Nurnberg, as well as at the Institute for Labour Research (IAB) in Nurnberg. He<br />
has taken part in a number of projects and publishes in scientific and professional journals<br />
in the field of economics of labour market and education, public policy, industrial and regional<br />
policy.<br />
Mirela MÜLLER is an assistant professor at the University of Osijek at the Faculty of Humanities<br />
and Social Sciences. Her areas of scientific interest include distance learning, multimedia<br />
didactics, media pedagogy, media semiotics and sociolinguistics, media socialization and<br />
culture, philosophy of symbolic forms, prevention of addiction-modern media manipulation,<br />
modern technologies in foreign language learning, semantic difference and etiological<br />
analysis and European dimension of education. Mirela has professional training in the<br />
fields of statistical data processing programs, Geogebra processing and evaluation software,<br />
multimedia, didactic design of an e-course, learning through Moodle and the EU's educational<br />
policy, the European dimension of education and preventive measures for digital addiction.<br />
Marko MUSTAPI∆, PhD, is a senior research associate at the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar<br />
in Zagreb. His research interests include sports, youth, cultural memory and populism.<br />
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About the Authors<br />
Currently, he is a researcher on the (H2020) PROMISE project, (H2020) CHIEF project and<br />
substitute member of the COST CA17114 Action Transdisciplinary Solutions to Cross Sectoral<br />
Disadvantage in Youth. He is an associate at the Department of Croatian Studies at<br />
the University of Zagreb and at the Centre for the Study of Football and its Communities<br />
at Manchester Metropolitan University (UK). He is President of the sport section of the Croatian<br />
Sociological Association.<br />
Stana ODAK KRASI∆ graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences in Zagreb in 2006 and obtained<br />
a master's degree in journalism. She is currently in the last year of her PhD studies<br />
at the Faculty of Philosophy in Mostar. Stana has been the head of the Public Relations and<br />
Media Studies programme at VERN' University of Applied Sciences since December 2013.<br />
She is now vice-dean forstudy programmes at VERN'. She also teaches the courses Introduction<br />
to Communication, Ethics, Communication and Corporate Social Responsibility and<br />
Public Relations in Sport and Tourism. She has participated in many conferences, symposia,<br />
round tables and professional trainings.<br />
Jasmina OV»AR, master engineer of architecture and urbanism, twenty-five years of experience<br />
in architectural design as managing designer as well as building supervisor, manages privately-held<br />
businesses. She has worked at the Polytechnic of Meappleimurje in »akovec since<br />
2014. Her areas of interest include architecture and urbanism with a view to sustainable<br />
development. Jasmina is a senior lecturer course holder for Architecture Construction and<br />
Design, Urban Planning and Design, Sustainable Architecture, Technical Documentation<br />
and Regulations. Her professional papers are in the field of sustainability of architecture<br />
but in the context of the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary fields of tourism, medicine,<br />
geography, economics and ethnology.<br />
Moreno PAVLI»I∆ earned a master's degree in business at VERN' University of Applied Sciences<br />
in <strong>2018</strong>. Moreno was awarded best student for 5 years while studying at university. He<br />
started working very early as a marketing intern at the Dogma Real Estate Agency and<br />
gained some work experience in Dubai in <strong>2018</strong>. He was a regional finalist of the Hult Prize<br />
<strong>2018</strong>. He has been working as a marketing specialist at Admiral Croatia since October<br />
<strong>2018</strong>.<br />
Mara PEKEZ, MA, graduated from the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences,<br />
with a master's degree in German language and literature and linguistics. Since 1993,<br />
she has been permanently employed as a teacher at well-known foreign language schools<br />
in Zagreb. She is a freelance lecturer of the German language and teaches business German<br />
in various international companies as a foreign language teacher. She has been working<br />
as an external associate at VERN' University of Applied Sciences since 2003. Mara is the<br />
author of many teaching materials and articles for the German language, a reviewer as well<br />
as leader of many German language workshops.<br />
Anappleelka PEKO, PhD, is a professor with tenure at the Faculty of Education (University of Osijek,<br />
Croatia). She has designed novel university programmes containing innovative didactical<br />
courses. Anappleelka previously worked as dean of the Faculty of Education and vice-rector<br />
for teaching and students at the University of Osijek, Croatia. As a result of her extensive<br />
scientific work, she has published numerous studies, chapters and journal articles<br />
about various pedagogical issues. She co-authored textbooks for young learners of the Cro-<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
atian language. Together with her students, she has published several children’s books. She<br />
is the editor-in-chief of the journal Life and School.<br />
Benjamin PERASOVI∆, PhD, is a scientific advisor at the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar in<br />
Zagreb. He has published widely on youth subcultures, social movements and sociology<br />
of sport. He is currently head of the Croatian team on the (H2020) PROMISE project and<br />
(H2020) CHIEF project. Benjamin is also an associate at the Faculty of Kinesiology (Zagreb)<br />
at the University Department of Croatian Studies (University of Zagreb) and at the Centre<br />
for the Study of Football and its Communities at Manchester Metropolitan University (UK).<br />
Marina PERI∆ KASELJ (Sinj, 1973) graduated from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences,<br />
University of Zagreb, Department of Sociology. She obtained a MSc at the University<br />
of Zagreb, Faculty of Political Science, in comparative politics. She earned a PhD from the<br />
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Department of Ethnology<br />
and Cultural Anthropology. Marina is the author of forty scientific papers, two professional<br />
books and twenty research papers and is a reviewer and evaluator of various professional<br />
and scientific programs and projects. She has participated in various radio and television<br />
programs and has written articles in professional publications, magazines and newspapers<br />
with the purpose of popularising science on the topic of immigration.<br />
Ivan PERKOV was born in 1989 in Split. He obtained a master’s degree in sociology at the Faculty<br />
of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, where he currently attends doctoral studies.<br />
He is also studying at the postgraduate study of Organization and Management at the<br />
Faculty of Economics. He is engaged in editorial work on the topics of science and higher<br />
education at the Croatian university newspaper Universitas. Since 2017 he works at the<br />
Department of Sociology of Croatian Studies as a teaching assistant in the field of sociology.<br />
Areas of his scientific and professional interest are urban sociology, sociology of risk<br />
and sociology of education.<br />
Krasnodar PER©UN was born in Zrenjanin Serbia. He has 25 years of experience as a professional<br />
news photographer for several Croatian media companies: NCL Media Grupa, Hanza Media<br />
Grupa, Adria Media Grupa and the Croatian National Radio and Television station. He<br />
has been working as a freelance photographer since 2012. He teaches courses in photo reporting<br />
in Croatian and English at VERN’ University of Applied Sciences in Zagreb, Croatia.<br />
Krasnodar obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism at VERN’ University of Applied<br />
Sciences and is a student of the specialist graduate study programme in business communication<br />
management at VERN’.<br />
Simona PETEVA is a PhD student at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Faculty of Biology.<br />
In <strong>2018</strong>, she won the prize PhD Candidate of the Year for Sofia University. Simona has authored<br />
seven scientific publications in Balkan and international journals. She speaks several<br />
languages, including English, Spanish and Turkish.<br />
Anton PETRI»EVI∆, PhD, assistant professor, was born on May 19 th , 1984 in Osijek, Croatia. He<br />
graduated from the Faculty of Law in Osijek in 2007. In 2013, he earned a master’s degree<br />
at the Faculty of Law of the Pan-European University “Apeiron” Banja Luka. In 2015, he<br />
obtained a doctorate at the same faculty. In 2017, he was elected as assistant professor at<br />
the Department of Labor and Social Security Law and Social Work at the Faculty of Law in<br />
Osijek, where he currently works. He has participated in domestic and international conferences<br />
and is active in scientific research. He speaks English, Italian and Spanish.<br />
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About the Authors<br />
Marko PILI∆, mag. forens., was born in 1989 in Split. In 2016, he earned a master's degree in<br />
forensic science, specialising in crime scene investigation. On February 1, <strong>2018</strong>, he became<br />
an employee of the University of Split, Department of Forensic Sciences, where he is working<br />
as an assistant at the Department for Security and National Security. His scientific fields<br />
of interest include international relations and security; in March <strong>2018</strong>, he enrolled in the<br />
postgraduate doctoral study International Relations, organized by the University of Zadar<br />
and Libertas International University. He is the author / co-author of several papers in the<br />
field of criminal law, information technology and security published in recognized international<br />
journals.<br />
Diana PLANTI∆ TADI∆, PhD, has worked at VERN' University of Applied Sciences for more than<br />
18 years as a marketing and quality management professor, quality manager and auditor.<br />
Diana has conducted research projects for members of the VERN' Market Research Center,<br />
which she founded in 2013 and has been managing it since then. She is currently a board<br />
member of the M-Sphere Conference, a member of the Croatian Association for Self-Regulation<br />
of Market Communications and the Croatian Quality Managers Society as well as a<br />
professional associate at the Croatian Agency for Science and Higherer Education.<br />
Mateja POPOVI∆ was born in Zagreb and graduated from Baltazar Adam KrËeliÊ high school.<br />
She has work experience in the areas of public relations, marketing and production on projects<br />
such as the international exhibition Be Croative in Paris, Wines of Croatia in New<br />
York, the Jewish Film Festival, the Scientific Picnic, the Adriatic Games, the 2011 ISPA (International<br />
Society for Performing Arts) conference in New York — Art of Collaboration,<br />
and many others. At the end of <strong>2018</strong>, she became a lecturer at Baltazar Polytechnic in the<br />
scientific field of social sciences and the field of economics. She was an assistant, and later<br />
a lecturer for courses in communication and marketing.<br />
Æeljka PRIMORAC, PhD, is an associate professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Split<br />
and graduated in law at the same Faculty in 2003. She completed a post-graduate course<br />
in Maritime Law and Law of the Sea (Faculty of Law, University of Split) and received a<br />
master’s degree in 2008 (thesis title: “Life Insurance with Specific Regard to Seamen”).<br />
Æeljka earned her doctorate in 2011 (doctoral thesis title: “Maritime Compulsory Insurance”)<br />
and has been an associate professor since 2017. She is the author and co-author of over<br />
thirty scientific papers. Æeljka is a member of the Croatian Association of Maritime Law,<br />
Croatian Transport Law Association and a full member of the Croatian Academy of Legal<br />
Science.<br />
Darija PR©A has thirteen years of experience in the field of finances and accounting. She worked<br />
for the Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency and the Raiffeisen Mandatory and<br />
Voluntary Pension Funds Management Company where she held the position of back office<br />
manager. She has published a number of scientific and professional papers and actively<br />
participated in several international scientific conferences. Darija is a senior lecturer at<br />
VERN’ University of Applied Sciences, Department of Finances, Accounting and Law where<br />
she is a course leader for five courses and teaches eight courses. The main focus of her research<br />
is in the field of business finances and capital markets.<br />
Anett RÁCZ graduated in informatics at the University of Debrecen, Faculty of Informatics and<br />
earned her PhD in 2012 in informatics. She works at the University of Debrecen, Faculty<br />
of Informatics as an assistant professor. Her main research areas are computational optimi-<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
zation, virtual reality and decision theory. She has mentored many talented students, and<br />
she is participating in two scientific projects concerning smart city topics and talent management<br />
in informatics. The projects are co-financed by the Hungarian Government, the<br />
European Union and the European Social Fund.<br />
Marta RA»I∆ was born in 1960 in Hrvatska Kostajnica. She she earned her bachelor’s degree in<br />
pedagogy at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Zagreb in<br />
1986. She continued her studies at the same faculty and obtained a degree in Italian Language<br />
and Literature and Ethnology in 1989. Marta defended her doctoral thesis titled “Revitalisation<br />
of Molise Croatian Identity” at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences,<br />
University of Zagreb, in <strong>2018</strong>. She is a member of the Croatian Ethnological Society and<br />
Matica Hrvatska (Croatian Heritage Foundation).<br />
Ana RADOVI∆ KAPOR (1983) was born in Podgorica. She has a BA in political science from<br />
Florida Atlantic University and an MA degree from the University of Bologna. She is currently<br />
pursuing a PhD in international relations at Libertas International University and at<br />
the University of Zadar. She works at the Department for Bilateral Affairs at the Ministry of<br />
Foreign Affairs of Montenegro and as a lecturer at Libertas International University.<br />
Ozana RAMLJAK is a writer, Croatist and professor at VERN’ University of Applied Sciences. She<br />
is head of the BA Film, Television and Multimedia study programme and the MA Film and<br />
Television Directing and Producing study programme. She received her PhD in humanities<br />
from the University of Zagreb. Ozana has published research papers in numerous Croatian<br />
and foreign journals and has participated in numerous international and national conferences<br />
and several projects. She is also the author of six children books.<br />
Stanko RIHTAR is a psychologist and expert advisor at the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar<br />
and lecturer at the Croatian Catholic University in Zagreb. His topics of interest include social<br />
and political psychology, public opinion research and methodology of social sciences.<br />
Stanko regularly participates in various empirical research projects (over fifty so far, mostly<br />
interdisciplinary) and has published more than one hundred papers (scientific papers,<br />
book chapters, congress participation abstracts or research reports).<br />
Majda RUBI∆ is a senior advisor in the Directorate for Islands at the Ministry of Regional Development<br />
and EU Funds. She received a law degree from the University of Split, and she obtained<br />
a Master of Science in European Law degree from the University of Zagreb in 2011.<br />
She is the author of a book about the Committee of the Regions of the EU and two text<br />
books about culture. She has also published various works in the area of law in accordance<br />
with EU acts. She is the editor and initiator for the reprint of the encyclopedia titled<br />
Our Islands in the Adriatic (1952) by Ivo RubiÊ.<br />
Lidija RUNKO LUTTENBERGER was born in Rijeka and is an associate professor in environmental<br />
engineering at the School of Polytechnics at the University of Rijeka. She earned her<br />
bachelor’s, master of science and doctoral degrees at the Faculty of Engineering at the University<br />
of Rijeka. She worked in the shipbuilding industry as a design engineer, sales manager<br />
and member of the board of directors, as department manager in a municipal utilities<br />
company and also as assistant minister in the Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection.<br />
Lidija authored the book Water and Waste Management as well as more than ninety<br />
scientific and professional papers in the field of environmental protection.<br />
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About the Authors<br />
Matea SABLJAK is a prospective teacher in her final year of studies at the Faculty of Education,<br />
University of Osijek, Croatia. She was appointed a student demonstrator for the courses Educational<br />
Psychology and Science Teaching Methods II. Matea organised and led a workshop<br />
for primary school students during the 10 th Psychology Week in Osijek. She also assisted<br />
with the organisation of the 8 th International Conference Children and Languages Today,<br />
held at the Faculty of Education in Osijek. She is looking forward to working as a primary<br />
school teacher while continuing her education in a postgraduate programme.<br />
Antonio SAMMARTINO was born in 1961 in Mundimitro, a Croatian village in the Italian province<br />
Molise. He is a geodesist who has taken up writing as well as working as an activist<br />
for the Molise-Croatian minority community. He is founder and president of the Agostina<br />
Piccoli Foundation whose goal is to preserve the Molise-Croatian language and cultural<br />
heritage. Antonio is also the editor of the bilingual magazine RiËa æiva/Æiva rijeË as well as<br />
the author or editor of many publications, including the Dictionary of Molise-Croatian<br />
Speech in Mundimitro and the Molise-Croatian Language Grammar. He is a member of the<br />
Croatian Writers’ Association — Zagreb.<br />
Mariusz SAMORAJ, PhD, has been a lecturer at the Faculty of Pedagogy at the University of Warsaw,<br />
Department of Aesthetic Education and Culture Studies, since October 1, 1981. He<br />
earned a doctorate in humanities and pedagogy after completing a postgraduate program<br />
in art. He is also a ceramics instructor and an appointed teacher. His research interests are<br />
theory of aesthetic education, art and media education, transmission of cultural heritage,<br />
intercultural and regional education, socio-cultural and artistic animation, early education<br />
and child art development. He was also a guest lecturer in the Erasmus programme at Kunstuniversitat<br />
Linz in Austria in 2011 and 2015.<br />
Melita SE»AN completed professional study programs in »akovec. After receiving her pre-graduate<br />
degree, she completed the specialist professional graduate study program Management<br />
of Tourism and Sports in 2017. In that same year, she published her first scientific<br />
work in Oeconomicus, a scientific journal of economics and social sciences, titled “Marketing<br />
of Health Tourism in the Function of the Tourist Season Extension”. She has been employed<br />
since <strong>2018</strong> as an external associate at the Polytechnic of Meappleimurje in »akovec at<br />
the Department of Tourism and Sports Management.<br />
Ines SU»I∆, PhD, is Senior Research Associate at the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar and<br />
Assistant Professor of Forensic Psychology at the University of Zagreb. Her research interests<br />
include risk, deviant and antisocial behavior, and offender supervision, in addition to<br />
well-being. She has worked in the areas of research methodology, questionnaire development,<br />
and statistical data analyses. Currently, she is a research teammember of the EU Horizon<br />
2020 PROMISE project, EU Horizon 2020 CHIEF project, and a national Croatian longitudinal<br />
study of well-being project financed by the Croatian Science Foundation.<br />
Damir ©KARO, PhD, was born on November 2, 1959 in Zagreb. As an athlete, he was part of<br />
three Olympic games (Moscow ‘80, Los Angeles ‘84, Seoul ‘88). After his professional athletic<br />
career, he devoted himself to science. Damir graduated from the Faculty of Economics<br />
in Zagreb in 1994, and in 1997, he earned his master’s degree with the thesis titled “Applying<br />
Marketing Conception in Politics”. In 2009, he successfully finished his PhD with the<br />
“Managing the Financial System of the Olympic Games”. He is the author of four scientific<br />
books: Marketing in Politics of the 21st century, Great People in Croatian Sport, Olym-<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
pic Games Management, Sport in the Time of Globalization (Sport and Capital).<br />
Branka ©UPUT graduated from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Zagreb University<br />
in 1985 with a BA degree in English Language and Literature and Russian Language<br />
and Literature. She has been a lecturer at VERN’ University of Applied Sciences since 2001,<br />
where she teaches English at Entrepreneurship Economics, Tourism and Hotel Management<br />
and Public Relations and Media Studies. In 1985 she started teaching at the Center<br />
for Foreign Languages in Zagreb, followed by Zagreb University — Faculty of Economics<br />
and Octopus Language School. She has attended international conferences as well as Pilgrims<br />
and International House teacher-training courses in Canterbury and London, UK.<br />
Iliana TODOROVA is a PhD student in direction Functional biocenology at the Sofia University<br />
“St. Kliment Ohridski” at the Faculty of Biology, Department of Ecology and Environmental<br />
Protection. She studied ecology and environmental protection at South -West University<br />
in Blagoevrgad from 2007 to 2011. In 2015, she earned a master’s degree in the same<br />
area at the University of Sofia. Iliana’s areas of research include forest ecology, dendrochronology,<br />
functional biocenology and ecosystem services.<br />
Sara URSI∆ (1982, Split) is a research associate at the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar. She<br />
earned an MA in sociology and anthropology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences<br />
in Zagreb in 2005. In 2014, she obtained a PhD at the Faculty of Humanities and Social<br />
Sciences in Zagreb with the thesis “Socio-Spatial Aspects of Transformation of Cities'<br />
Outskirts: Two Examples from Croatia”. Her scientific interest is in the field of urban sociology,<br />
sociology of space and place and sociology of housing and urban planning. She<br />
teaches two courses at the University of Zagreb.<br />
Michael URSINUS was born in Kiel, Northern Germany. He completed his undergraduate studies<br />
at Hamburg University (1972—80). He researched the Ottoman archives in Skopje and<br />
Istanbul (1977—78), resulting in a doctoral dissertation on Ottoman-induced regional reforms<br />
around Manastir/Bitola under Sultan Mahmud II. Michael was an assistant professor<br />
at Munich University 1981—84 and then a lecturer at the Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman<br />
and Modern Greek Studies, 1984—89, in Birmingham, UK. He was an associate professor<br />
in Islamic Studies and Turcology at Freiburg from 1989 to 1992. From 1992 until his retirement<br />
early in 2016, he was a full professor in Islamic and Ottoman studies at Heidelberg<br />
University (Seminar für Sprachen und Kulturen des Vorderen Orients). He was an honorary<br />
research fellow (Birmingham) and president of CIÉPO (Comité International des Études<br />
Pré-Ottomanes et Ottomanes) 2008—<strong>2018</strong>.<br />
Rahaela VARGA is an assistant professor at the Department of Lifelong Learning at the Faculty<br />
of Education (University of Osijek, Croatia). She holds a PhD in educational sciences obtained<br />
from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Zagreb, Croatia.<br />
She has authored and co-authored dozens of research papers, two books and several<br />
book chapters. Her scientific interest mostly focuses on teachers', students' and headteachers'<br />
competences, teaching methods, active learning and classroom communication.<br />
Marija VOLAREVI∆ graduated from the Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb. She<br />
teaches several courses at VERN' University of Applied Sciences in the field of new media<br />
and public relations: Internet and Social Media, Digital Communication and Content Management.<br />
Her scientific interests include social media communication, online public relations<br />
and online journalism. Marija has a full-time job at a public relations agency in Za-<br />
666
greb. She is also a young researcher at the Institute for New Media and E-Democracy. She<br />
is a PhD student at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, at the Department<br />
of Marketing Communications.<br />
Pavao VRANE©EVI∆ was born in 1991 in Zagreb. In 2015, he completed an undergraduate study<br />
programme, which was conducted entirely in English, at the Faculty of Economics and<br />
Business in Zagreb and earned a bachelor’s degree in business. Shortly afterwards, in 2017,<br />
he obtained a master’s degree in business economics, with a specialisation in marketing at<br />
the same faculty. From November 2016 until December 2017, he worked at the film production<br />
company Interfilm. In April <strong>2018</strong>, he got a job at the Zagreb Tourist Board where<br />
he still works today. He has volunteered and participated in several international conferences<br />
and is fluent in English, Spanish and Russian.<br />
Ana VRKLJAN MURAJ has considerable work experience in business planning and in creation<br />
and implementation of marketing activities, gained in both the private and public sector.<br />
In the private sector, her main tasks were to coordinate between procurement, sales, marketing,<br />
field commercial representatives and the finance department. She also monitored<br />
the contracts on the construction of vessels and overhaul of ships through all phases as<br />
well as contracted commercial conditions, bank guarantees, letters of credit, payment dynamics,<br />
rights and obligations from contracts with partners. After joining the state agency,<br />
she gained additional experience in ways of communication and models of cooperation<br />
between the public and private sectors with the aim of developing business processes and<br />
improving the investment environment.<br />
Milica VU»KOVI∆ is a research and teaching assistant at the Faculty of Political Science, University<br />
of Zagreb. She holds an MA in political science from the Central European University<br />
and an MA in journalism from the Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb. She is currently<br />
in her final year of PhD studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Ljubljana at the Department<br />
of Communication, specialising in online political communication. She is a teaching<br />
assistant at the Faculty of Political Science for the courses Cyberpolitics, Media and the Public,<br />
Social Media. Milica has authored scholarly articles in the area of new media and strategic<br />
communication.<br />
Dijana VUKOVI∆, PhD, was born on October 30, 1968 in Zagreb. She went to elementary and<br />
high school in Zagreb and is currently employed at the University of North in Varaædin. In<br />
2017, she received her doctorate degree at the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality at the<br />
University of Rijeka. So far she has published a total of thirty-two papers as author or coauthor.<br />
She teaches several undergraduate and graduate courses at the Business University<br />
of Zagreb. On March 28, 2019, she was granted the scientific teaching title of docent by<br />
the Faculty Council of the University of North, in the field of social sciences, scientific field<br />
of economics.<br />
Iva VUNARI∆, mag. pol., graduated from the Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb.<br />
After earning her master’s degree, she started working at Algebra University College where<br />
she currently holds the position of teacher education coordinator. Her interests are multidisciplinary;<br />
she is interested in communication and ethics, knowledge management and<br />
politics of higher education, with a special focus on quality assurance.<br />
Zuzanna Ewa WOJCIECHOWSKA is a doctor of social sciences in the field of education and is<br />
employed at the Institute of Continuing Education and Andragogy at the Education Facul-<br />
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Reflections on the Mediterranean<br />
ty at the University of Warsaw. The author's theoretical and research interests include issues<br />
related to adult education, biography, learning from biography as well as professional<br />
change, career, contemporary life patterns and career patterns, intercultural counseling,<br />
the fate of emigrants, women's issues and lifelong learning. She belongs to the Andragogical<br />
Academic Society in Poland and is also an adult education practitioner. She has been<br />
involved in language education for ten years, including teaching the Polish language to foreigners.<br />
Joπko ZEKAN is a senior consultant at the University Hospital Centre in Zagreb. He founded and<br />
conducted the International Family Planning and Reproductive Health Course at the Inter-<br />
University Center in Dubrovnik. Joπko was chairman of the Committee for the Prevention<br />
of Cervical Cancer of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Croatia. Currently he is leading<br />
the Southeast European HPV Forum. He has published twenty-nine articles, two monographs<br />
and has attended thirty-five international and fifty-four national conferences. His<br />
scientific interests include family planning and reproductive health and organization of national<br />
screening and vaccination programmes.<br />
Zdenko ZEMAN, PhD, is a sociologist and philosopher. He works at the Institute of Social Sciences<br />
Ivo Pilar in Zagreb. He is the author of two books and co-author of four books as<br />
well as many scientific articles. In his professional work, he is interested in sociological theories<br />
of (post)modernization, aging studies and socio-cultural aspects of sustainability. His<br />
empirical work is based on qualitative methodology.<br />
Gergő˝ ZILIZI is a computer science BSc student at the Faculty of Informatics, University of Debrecen,<br />
Hungary. He has been interested in computer graphics and 3D modeling for more<br />
than ten years. His interest turned towards virtual reality in 2014 when he built his first<br />
homemade VR headset from scrap parts. Since then he has developed various applications<br />
for different VR platforms. He is also interested in robotics, and he took part in the software<br />
development of a data acquisition system for CERN, Switzerland. He is a member of<br />
the Talent Management Program at the University of Debrecen.<br />
668
Organizers<br />
INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES IVO PILAR<br />
Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar is a public scientific institution that was founded within<br />
the University of Zagreb on November 26 th , 1991 by the decision of the University Assembly.<br />
Its areas and fields of scientific research are: a) social sciences (psychology, sociology,<br />
demography, education and rehabilitation sciences, political sciences, economics,<br />
information and communication sciences), b) humanities (history, theology, philosophy,<br />
ethnology and anthropology, religion science, philology) and c) interdisciplinary scientific<br />
areas (cognitive sciences, geography, gender studies). The Institute’s head office is in<br />
Zagreb, but the Institute also has 7 regional centres (Pula, GospiÊ, Split, Dubrovnik, Varaædin,<br />
Osijek, and Vukovar). Ivo Pilar Institute has so far taken part in more than 330 research<br />
projects, of which 60 international projects. Among the international projects, the<br />
most prominent projects are those financed by the European Union, like “MYPLACE —<br />
Memory, Youth, Political Legacy And Civic Engagement”, and “MYWEB — Measuring<br />
Youth Wellbeing”, which are financed under the 7 th framework programme. Also, the Institute<br />
has collaborated with other international institutions, like UNICEF, ERSTE Foundation,<br />
and Open Society Foundation. Since its foundation the Institute has published over<br />
120 books, including 50 collections, 33 studies, and 40 special editions, such as monographs.<br />
www.pilar.hr<br />
VERN’ UNIVERSITY<br />
VERN’ is the oldest and the largest private institution in Croatia’s higher education sector,<br />
with a tradition of providing educational activities in the European sector of higher education.<br />
With the appearance of VERN’ and its market positioning, for the first time in Croatia,<br />
education has become a market-based brand in its true meaning. VERN’ offers seven<br />
bachelor and seven master level studies in the fields of economics, finance, media, tourism,<br />
ICT and creative industries. VERN’ continuously works to broaden its international<br />
network of partnerships and co-operation agreements. International activities are running<br />
with cooperation and membership through international organizations and projects, such<br />
as the European Foundation for Management Development, EURHODIP — Leading Hotel<br />
Schools in Europe, European Public Relations Education and Research Association,<br />
ERASMUS+ program for students, teachers and non-teaching staff etc. VERN’ University is<br />
dedicated to the education of multidisciplinary experts, whose energy, innovation, ambition<br />
and entrepreneurial culture are the strongest guarantee for establishing successful<br />
economic and social environment for the benefit of whole community. Today the brand<br />
of VERN’ is recognized by Croatian public as a highly distinguished in professional private<br />
business education, based on entrepreneurial philosophy and verified global educational<br />
standards.<br />
www.vern.hr<br />
669
Partners<br />
PRESIDENT OF<br />
THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA<br />
THE TOWN OF VIS<br />
INSTITUT FRANÇAIS<br />
DE CROATIE<br />
CROATIAN NATIONAL<br />
TOURIST BOARD<br />
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE<br />
AND EDUCATION OF<br />
THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA<br />
EPSON
The outcomes of the conference held in Vis in September <strong>2018</strong> are voluminous and highly<br />
insightful. The coming together of such an array of specialists from different fields make<br />
the proceedings rich from both the academic and governance point of view. While<br />
academics can build on these studies, those in charge of policy can use the data in their<br />
decision making and take the opportunity to ponder on the underlying pleading for<br />
sustainability. The compendium provides anyone interested in Mediterranean history with a<br />
valuable tool. It should instigate other organisations and academic institutions in other<br />
Mediterranean countries to collaborate, share in the research and test methodologies<br />
developed in these works on their territories and regions. Only through such interaction can<br />
what Braudel called “unsuspected store”… mines of the purest historical gold’ be tapped into,<br />
explored and rendered as tools in our common quest for a sustainable Mediterranean living.<br />
Charles J. Farrugia, PhD, University of Malta<br />
The interdisciplinary approach to the choice of themes has contributed to the deliberation,<br />
understanding and direction of development of the Mediterranean region as an area of<br />
intertwined cultural, scientific, artistic and political forces. The presentation of scientific<br />
knowledge, expert accounts and recommendations given in the articles on the traditional<br />
components, tourism development guidelines and sustainable development<br />
of certain regions extensively displayed in this book are particularly<br />
thought-provoking because they encourage reflection on how to<br />
sustainably develop and live in the Mediterranean region. I therefore<br />
believe this book is of particular social significance to the wider community.<br />
Mirjana Miličević , PhD, University of Mostar<br />
INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES<br />
IVO PILAR<br />
VERN’ UNIVERSITY<br />
CROATIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND ARTS<br />
Scientific Council of Anthropological Research<br />
EURO MEDITERRANNEAN<br />
ACADEMIC NETWORK<br />
ISBN 978-953-7964-77-1 (Institute Pilar)<br />
ISBN 978-953-8101-04-5 (Vern’ University)<br />
PRICE 160 HRK